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A Tribute to Those Who Fought in WWII
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Posted by: akabezalel
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, Fla., 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 - 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,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 OmahaBeach. "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. They hope every veteran in Americagets a chance to hear it.
http://www.managedmusic.com/view.php
And if that doesn't work try pasting the address below but...
remember to take all the spaces out!
http://www . managedmusic . com/view . php
Posted by: christythompson
The people I work for on a part time basis
doing home health care are of that era.
The man "Jack" was in the 1st army of WW II.
It meant his army was the first one in
everywhere taking the heat,
Beach of normandy, battle of the bulge.
He is 84.
Wanda, 87 his wife he met in germany
and had to ask permission from the
American goverment, the German goverment
and the British occupied zone.
He brought her home.
They lived at near starvation levels
after retiring also serving in Korea.
he is a Hero.
I am sure there are many Hero's
Let us remember with honor
those who have served
remember and not forget.
Posted by: Sulten
Thanks for posting this Carol. My dad was a veteran of World War II and my hero and has passed on. He kept a journal of his experiences and I got to type that up for all posterity in our family to read. Oh how I wish that families could get their stories before they pass on for posterity to always remember the cost of our freedom and way of life.