Memorial Day Pause

In spite of the demands of the NCAA baseball tournament, I'm pausing as much as possible on this Memorial Day weekend to remember our veterans. I think of my dad, a reluctant participant in the Second World War. I say reluctant, not that he tried to avoid it, but that he was not necessarily "proud" of it. No heroic stories; in fact, pretty gritty recollections that the recent HBO series, The Pacific, brought home.

For my wife's Uncle Buddy, a man who gave very much in service during Vietnam, and for Sam, my mom's "second husband" who lived with her after my father died and then cared so tenderly for her during her cancer. Sam was a veteran of three wars, ending in Vietnam, working rescue helos in the marines.

The Perilous Fight -- the old PBS series built out of existing color film from the 1940s -- is here from NetFlix. Couldn't have come at a better time, and I highly recommend putting it on your que or buying it (there's 20% off this weekend at PBS.org).

And right here, the 188th is back home in Fort Smith -- the Fighting Razorbacks with their A-10 Warthogs. Welcome back, Loel, our regular Kandahar correspondent on the baseball blogs this spring.

To all, a happy Memorial Day and a grateful thank you for all your service.