I found this in the Honolulu Advertiser's Discussion Boards under Making Connections. Under Talking Story & Stuffs. I'm saying this because I don't know who to credit it to. All I know is that it made me cry, and I think it's more important than ever.

You'll have to cut and paste the site to get there :

Listen to the song. http://www.beforeyougo.us

The elderly parking lot attendant wasn't in a good mood! Neither was Sam Bierstock. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach, FL eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker and musician, was bone tired after appearing at an event. He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak. "I took two bullets for this country and look what I'm doing," he said bitterly.

At first, Bierstock didn't know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, "Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you."
Then the old soldier began to cry. That really got to me," Bierstock says.

Cut to today. Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach and a member of Bierstock's band, Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Band, have written a song inspired by that old soldier in the airport parking lot.

The mournful "Before You Go" does more than salute those who fought in WWII. It encourages people to go out of their way to thank the aging warriors before they die.

"If we had lost that particular war, our whole way of life would have been shot," says Bierstock, who plays harmonica. "The WW II soldiers are now dying at the rate of about 2,000 every day. I thought we needed to thank them."

The song is striking a chord. Within four days of Bierstock placing it on the Web http://www.beforeyougo.us the song and accompanying photo essay have bounced around nine countries, producing tears and heartfelt thanks from veterans, their sons and daughters and grandchildren.

"It made me cry," wrote one veteran's son. Another sent an e-mail saying that only after his father consumed several glasses of wine would he discuss "the unspeakable horrors" he and other soldiers had witnessed in places such as Anzio, Iwo Jima, Bataan and Omaha Beach. "I can never thank them enough," the son wrote. "Thank you for thinking about them."

Bierstock and Melnick thought about shipping it off to a professional singer, maybe a Lee Greenwood type, but because time was running out for so many veterans, they decided it was best to release it quickly, for free, on the Web. They've sent the song to Sen. John McCain and others in Washington. Already they have been invited to perform it in Houston for a Veterans Day tribute - this after just a few days on the Web.

God Bless EVERY veteran and THANK YOU to those of you veterans who may read this!

You are welcome but do remember the very best way to protect them is by not having to send them in the first place.

It's regarding World War 2 Vets.

So the rest of us don't count?? (I don't understand the 02/23/2006, 12:31 pm message) or "What am I? Chopped liver?" <g>
It would be nice if VFW or some other org would sponsor shuttle service to the WWII Memorial in DC. So many WWII Veterans want to see it, but it's a long haul from any public transit point, and parking is very limited.

Altho I am not WWII, I'd gladly donate to such a project.

A special thanks to WWII and Korean veterans, and all others too.

Of course ALL OF YOU COUNT. I certainly didn't want to start any controversy by listing this.

The 12:31pm message was to tell Intrepid1 (who replied to my post 3 minutes later...hardly enough time to read the post and pull up the site and actually listen to the song...) that it wasn't directly related to today's Vets, though unfortunately in 60 years it may be. The point is: not to forget anyone, and to say thanks.

To The Top(How did this get to #61 already?)

Great thread, thanks kamahinahoko.
Brings to mind the cliche:

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Also RB traveler, I totally Agree:
"It would be nice if VFW or some other org would sponsor shuttle service to the WWII Memorial in DC. So many WWII Veterans want to see it, but it's a long haul from any public transit point, and parking is very limited."

There must be several service, civic,
relgious groups in the
metro DC area that could lend a hand??

ttt

"...the very best way to protect them is by not having to send them in the first place."

Where did I hear this before? Was it at Munich? Was it in 1938? Well, I have a recollection it was some time before WW2.

Thank you all this time later for this tribute. I was searching Anzio as I am going next year, especially to see where my dad was in the invasion. He died 34 years ago, and never talked much about the war, but I have some of his letter and he mentions Anzio and Palermo, as well as several places in France. I'm doing some research to see if there is much to see in Anzio, just got started, but regardless, I want to be there.
Thanks.