One email tribute about a veteran family member turned into a spontaneous "reply all" email thread at Martin Pringle Law Firm today. Attorneys and employees joined in sharing memories of the service and sacrifices made by the members of our families on behalf of our wonderful country.  Please join us in honoring our veterans through the sharing of our personal stories.

"Martin Pringle Law Firm has a rich and honorable military history that began with co-founder Robert Martin (1924-2011), who served the U.S. Army Air Force as a B-24 pilot during World War II. It was fascinating to sit and listen to his experiences as a bomber pilot." - Mike

"On this Veteran’s Day, I want to honor my father who is still living at age 92.  He was in the 3rd Armored Division of the Army in World War II.  He landed on Omaha Beach on June 9th as a replacement trained as a forward observer.  The other forward observer was sent out the first night and never returned.  As a farm boy, someone suggested he could drive a tank so he quickly switched to a tank driver.  He went from Normandy to Berlin.  We have the telegram that reported he had been killed in action—luckily that was quickly changed to missing in action.  He and his tank 4 person squad were separated from their unit during the Battle of the Bulge.  It took 4 weeks of behind the battle lines fighting to reconnect with US forces.  He spent a night in a fox hole with his dead friend.  He went to the 5th reunion of the end of World War II and had such nightmares that he rarely talked about the war.  Then when he retired, he decided he wanted to reconnect and enjoy going to great sites for reunions.  The first one he attended was in of all places Wichita!!" - Martin

"My mother and 2 of her brothers served in WWII.  Unfortunately, they are no longer with us and I don’t have any stories to share.  My son is an Army veteran with 10 years of service and my younger brother retired Air Force along with a niece and nephew and many cousins having served.  I am also very proud of my family and their service.  God Bless America." - Mary

"My grandfather, stepfather, and a slew of great uncles served in WWII.  My grandfather was a medic in the Navy.  He served in the European theatre.  Even during all of the horror of the war, he and his mates brought a badly injured dog on board their ship and kept it comfortable until it died.  My grandfather raised the flag at his house every morning and brought it in every night.  My stepfather served in the Army.  His leg badly injured by shrapnel, and he always remembered the kindness of the English nurses who saved his life and cared for him for over a year." - Teresa

"My grandfather, alive and well at 92 as well, served in the Pacific on a destroyer.  It’s a treat to hear him talk about the war.  My Dad also served, and was a Green Beret in Vietnam, but was never very interested in talking about it.  I remember standing at the Vietnam Memorial in D.C. and reading names of his friends to him over the phone who had passed.  It’s hard to grasp what it must have been like." - Rick

"We will never understand what our parents and grandparents went through.  My father never talked about WWII and I found out after he passed away that he was in the 2nd wave at Normandy." - Ruthanne

"My Uncle Norm joined the Army when he was 16 in 1944, and then years later went into the Navy!  My grandfather served in the South Pacific during WWII, then went home to a little town in Nebraska and raised a family, rarely talking about the war." - Jeff

"My dad served in the Navy also in WWII.  He was on destroyers in the Pacific and Atlantic.  Was injured twice and contracted malaria earning him 3 purple hearts.  I was so fortunate to be able to escort him on an Honor Flight last year before he passed in January of this year.  He was 94.  I remember sitting with him at the KCVA with 3 other WWII vets, one was a woman that served in the Navy as a nurse.  I could have sat there all day listening to them share their stories. My son served in the Marines from 2005-2009.  1st ANGLICO out of Camp Pendleton.  He was a radio operator and attached to Navy Seals and Army Ranger teams in Ramadi, Iraq.  Semper Fi!!" - Robin

"My dad was jump instructor at Fort Campbell and a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division.  He fought in A Shau Valley, Vietnam, one of the key entry points for communist forces into South Vietnam.  He was also a member of the Army National Guard for several years.  I’m proud to say he’s marching alongside his brother (USMC Retired) in the Veteran’s Day Parade today in Larned, America! Hooah!" - Melissa

"My veteran hero was my uncle, Major Samuel R. Bird, who served in Vietnam. Here is a story about him, first published in Reader’s Digest http://www.supertrap.com/ST_Downloads_files/CaptSamBird.pdf. His story is also told in a book about him, titled So Proudly He Served, written several years later." - George

"My father Roy was a captain in the Army Air Force in WWII. He flew a P-47 fighter and his unit regularly bombed and strafed German troop trains in Italy. He flew 100 missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, which is proudly displayed  in my office. As with many of those who already commented, Dad didn't particularly like talking about his war experiences. My brother Tom was named after one of Dad's squadron members whose plane was shot down by the anti-aircraft guns that were mounted on the trains they were targeting. I have often thought about how easily it could have been my Dad's plane that went down. God bless our Veterans!" - Dave

"My father served as an MP behind the European front during WWII … until the Battle of the Bulge began.  He then became part of the front lines and experienced having his position overrun (which was all he cared to share about that situation)." - Ken

"Both of my grandfathers were in the service. One served 47 years as a Captain in the Airforce. The other in the Navy, translating code during WWII. We always tried to get him to tell us some secrets and he never would. When he died, we found out that one of co-workers had held the same position in the war. These two friends worked side by side for 30 years; even carpooled together and never talked about their service. They took an oath and never broke it. If you’ve never heard taps played graveside at a funeral with a gun salute and seen the presentation of the flag to a widow – it is a very emotional, very proud moment." - Anna

"My father was a Major in the Marines and served in both WWII in the Pacific theatre and in Korea.  In fact, because of the international date line, I was actually born on his birthday.  In reality I was born one day before his.  My wife’s father was a career Army officer and retired after 30 distinguished years as a Colonel He served in Vietnam among many other places.  My youngest brother in law was also in the Army and served in the original Gulf War. He has retired and is a  Lt. Colonel in the reserves." - David

"My father passed away when I was 5 or so and I learned of my father’s service in World War 2 and afterwards through my grandmother and mother.  My father along with a couple of friends from Eureka lied about their age and volunteered for the Army at 16. My father was in the second wave of the invasion of Leyte Island in the Philippines and was a communications specialist.  As they were setting up equipment his group of 3 was attacked by 6 Japanese.  The  2  soldiers with him were Richard and Kent.  Richard was able to take one enemy, but was killed, then Kent was able to take one enemy, but was killed.  My father was able to take care of the rest of the enemy squad.  From that encounter my father received a battlefield promotion to second lieutenant, he brought back to Eureka the officer’s sword and side arm, each enlisted man’s bayonet and one enlisted man’s rifle and I received my name…Richard Kent.   He continued his military service for a number of years and eventually became a Major.  I still have his WW 2 uniform and medals. I am very proud to be an American and God Bless our Veterans. " - Rick

"Today, I came to work feeling very emotional.   My dad served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.  He also served in the Philippines as a radio operator.  Like many others, he would not talk about his war experience.  Less than two years ago,  I watched from a funeral canopy as 3 young airmen folded a flag in my dad’s honor.    Because my mom felt that she could not handle the finality of taps,  the bugler waited until the car that she was riding in drove away from the cemetery.   Then, the young man moved out into the pouring rain and played the tribute for my dad’s service this great country." - Anonymous

"My Dad never left Fort Lee, New Jersey during the Korean conflict, but my Uncle Jack was a point man there.  He would never speak of his service until the dementia had taken hold and he spoke of losing his buddies in combat.  My Uncle Jim was in the OSS (pre-CIA) in India during WWII and my Uncle Bill flew bombing raids over Burma during WWII.  My cousin’s son recently retired from the Marines after serving several tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.  He has PTSD but is working through it.  Our family was fortunate not to have lost anyone in any wars, and not to have anyone in Vietnam.  Nevertheless, I salute all Veterans and thank them for their service to this great country." - Lisa

"It is so rewarding to work at a firm where people are willing to share stories of their veteran family members and honor those memories. My Grandfather served in the army, but never once spoke of his time in the military. Other than that,  I had no connection to any kind of military branch until I met and married my husband, who served in the Army as a Calvary Scout and did two tours in Iraq. I just got done telling him about all of these emails and he was so moved at everyones willingness to take time out of their day to honor those men, women, and family members who bravely served on behalf of this country." - Ashlyn

"My dad was in the Army and served in the Korean War.  He was a trainman on the Army supply trains, which was the perfect assignment for him as he retired from AT&SF after 41 years with the railroad.  Like many others, my dad would never talk about his service in Korea.  My husband is a Marine and served during the Vietnam War but never had to go to Vietnam.  He was stationed in Japan and Hawaii.  I also have many uncles and cousins who served in the military. God Bless our Veterans!" - Debbie

"My family is certainly an Air Force family.  My dad was an F4 Phantom pilot with a tactical fighter squadron based in Europe toward the end of the Cold War.  He also did some intelligence work.  In the late 1980s, he moved to the Pentagon where he helped construct the U.S. air attack for the first Persian Gulf War.  I actually hung out in the lower levels of the Pentagon while some of those meetings were going on during two visits to DC.  He desperately wanted to go to the gulf and fly, but the Pentagon said no, so my dad ended up leaving with an honorable discharge rather than retiring.  Flying was his thing, and he was a fighter pilot through and through.  Every time I see a story about drone use in the Air Force, I think about what my dad would say if he was alive.  He wouldn’t be happy about it. His brother was an Air Force Academy grad and retired as a colonel.  My mom’s sister and brother-in-law were also in the Air Force.  My uncle actually flew in the same squadron as my dad with the reconnaissance group, and my aunt was a meteorologist. All of this to the chagrin of my Navy grandad who was an electrician on the Kermit Roosevelt in Korea.  He tolerated all the Air Force personnel at family gatherings, but he never missed an opportunity to tell me why the Navy was the best service branch." - Anna

"My father served on an aircraft carrier during world War II as an airplane mechanic. His ship was going through the Panama Canal as the war ended. Both of my brothers were in the Air Force.  They each had twenty five years of service, the oldest Michael flew C-141’s during the Vietnam War and ended his career training young pilots in T-38’s. My other brother Craig flew B-52’s  also trained young pilots and ended his career by teaching at the War College in Mobile, Alabama. My nephew Chris served in both Afghanistan and Iraq as a Navy pilot. He worked with the Special Forces and participated on a number of covert opeartions in both theaters." - Scott

"My father tried to enlist in the Army in the 1930s but could not pass the physical due to the loss of sight in his left eye as the result of a childhood accident.  He was very disappointed about that but was strongly supportive of our military and families all his life.  His brother served in the Army in World War II and Korea, as did my father-in-law.  My father-in-law flew in a B17F in missions over France & Germany in World War II and was the lower turret gunner.  Not sure how many missions he flew because he would never talk about it, like so many others mentioned here today.  He would just say, “I saw some things you would never believe.”  My brother was out of the Marines before Viet Nam escalated but like so many others my age, I had friends and classmates who served.  Those were very confusing and turbulent years.  My father’s cousin was an Air Force pilot (B 17) in World War II and retired with the rank of colonel after several more wars and 32 years of service." - Diane  

"My Dad lied about his age to join the Navy after Pearl Harbor and in a newspaper story when he married my Mom he is described as a “war hero”.  My Mom has his medals, including a Distinguished Flying Cross, and one of my prized possessions is a box that was sent to his Mom, my grandmother, when he was missing in action in the jungle of New Guinea.  When I gave his eulogy in 2008 I talked about his heroics as a veteran and admitted that I had failed him by not thanking him when I had the chance.  I hope all of you will take a few minutes and thank your family members who served our country, or a stranger in uniform that you see in an airport or wherever.  We are blessed that men and women are making this sacrifice." - Jeff

"My father and father-in-law both served in WWII.  My dad was proud to be a veteran, but never talked much about his service.  My F-I-L joined in 1945, as soon as he turned eighteen.  He had been ordered to the Pacific, but the war was over before he was sent.  He later served in Korea as a tank operator, and was there for a year and a half when Mike (my husband, for those of you who don’t know him) was a preschooler, and his younger brother was just an infant.  The wives and families who managed to get by on their own are not often recognized for their sacrifice, but should be as well.  I had all of them in mind when I put the flag out before I left home this morning." - Terry

"My Great Uncle was a doctor at the naval hospital on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and was leaving the hospital that morning in his dress uniform to attend church when the attack started.  A bullet from an attacking plane hit his hat, but, luckily missed his head.  He spent the next few weeks treating the wounded at the hospital. My nephew is currently serving as an MP on the US Ronald Regan and is out to sea on a 4 month tour leaving behind his 4 month old son and wife.  His and his families’ sacrifice are great as well! God Bless all of our servicemen and woman and the families they leave behind!" - Lynn

"My father-in-law was in the Army Air Force on December 7, 1941,  stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, about 20 miles from Pearl Harbor.  From his view,  smoke and Japanese planes were visible in the sky but no one at his base knew the extent of damage until later in the day.   About a week later, he was able to send a Western Union Telegram to his mother to let her know he was okay.  The telegram simply says “am safe.”  In 1944, he was a navigator on a B-17 plane dropping bombs over Germany.   During one mission, their plane was shot down as they returned to England.  The crew parachuted from the damaged plane.  Unfortunately, they landed inside Germany just a few miles from Switzerland where they would have been safe.  They were captured and spent nearly nine months in a prisoner of war camp.  He weighed less than 100 pounds when he was released.  He didn’t talk about his experience except to say the 1960’s TV comedy called “Hogan’s Heroes” wasn’t accurate." - Rod

"My father may have crossed paths with Ken Dannenberg’s father.  Like Ken’s dad, mine was an MP.  He landed at Normandy Beach 30 days after D-Day.   He always said the heroes of the European invasion were the guys who landed on D-Day.  His unit was part of General Patton’s at the Battle of the Bulge.  By the end of the war, dad’s unit reached the Elbe River in Germany.  Russian soldiers had reached the Elbe from the east.  At the end of the war, U.S. and Russian soldiers celebrated together. There were so many toasts with shots of vodka that Dad sipped his and poured out the remainder when no one was looking.  After the war, the Elbe River became part of the boundary between East and West Germany." - Rod

"My dad received 3 Purple Hearts in World War II.  He was in the Army.  He also received a Silver and Bronze Medal – one of them was for bravery.  He was the bravest person I have ever met. My husband served in the Air Force during the Viet Nam War.  He was Flight Engineer on a helicopter and retrieved intelligence information." - Jan

"My father was a lifer in the military.  He served in every branch except the Navy during his career, spending the majority of the time in the Air Force.  Even though he did not have to, he really wanted to fly helicopters and to serve in Vietnam, so he switched to the Army and became a Chief Warrant Officer.  At the age of 38, he was one of the oldest men in his troop (the rest of them being in the 18-24 range).  My dad’s father died in December of 1967 and my father was allowed to come home for the funeral and to spend a month with us.  He was so quiet—sitting in his recliner lost in thought for hours on end.  I didn’t understand it at the time, but once I became an adult I realized he must have been ruminating on the difference between our world and the one he was going to have to return to.  I never saw him again.  He lost his life when he was shot down two months later.  I was ten years old at the time and have always wished I could have known him as an adult. My oldest son also proudly served in the Marines serving two tours in Iraq and attained the rank of Captain before he left the service. Thank God for the men and women who serve!" - Brenda