Memorial Day

Today we honor the military dead who have served this nation. I was going to post the pictures of departed members of my husband's and my families who have done so, but there are too many. Instead, I honor them by placing their names here:
Three of my Mother's brothers: Ed, Bob and Jack Erb; my father-in-law, Connally Guerrant; my brother-in-law, Bruce Taylor, and my husband's uncle, Wiley Crouse.

Those veterans still with us include: my husband Bill, my brother-in-law Tom Guerrant, my nephew Tom Arnett, my former brother-in-law Dan Cramer, uncle Ralph, twin cousins Chuck and Ralph Mains, cousin Ronnie Erb and my daughter-in-law's baby brother Robbie Stalter, who returned safely Friday after serving 16 months in Afghanistan.

Lastly, my father Kermit vonOhlen, who wanted to serve but was not allowed to do so. His job as a farmer growing food for the nation was considered critical to the war effort during World War II. But he found a way to contribute by also growing hemp, from which they made rope, for the Navy. When my sisters and I learned of this in the '60's, we thought it was ultra cool.