Lakewood VFW Post 10646 incoming officers taking their obligation. New officers include Commander Patrick McAllister, Senior Vice Commander James Hurd, Junior Vice Commander Eugene Shank, Quartermaster George Pieh, Chaplin Phil Koran, Judge Advocate Ed Ramos, 3 year Trustee Tex Phillips, two year trustee Jules Rewald and one year trustee Tom Farkas.

I went to the public meeting of Lakewood VFW Post 10646's installation of officers on Thursday, May 3rd. I was there at the invitation of my good friend and Post member Harvey Streitel. They meet monthly at the Lakewood Senior Center at 16024 Madison at Northland Avenue.

I'd been thinking about doing a column for Memorial Day titled "Those Among Us." I thought that perhaps over some great VFW coffee and chili I could pick up a few stories to share with you.

You know the kind. The guy storms a German machine gun nest, or single-handedly knocks out a Tiger Tank. I thought that might help us understand and appreciate more about what veterans have done for this country.

The guys were very kind to me, and more than welcoming. For the record, they like that chili STRONG! We discussed many topics: wives, kids, grandkids, family deaths, how retirement's going, and what's going on at the new veterans' cemetery at Rittman, in Medina County.

As far as the war stuff went, they just would not talk about it. At least on the record. Maybe they will, some time in the coming weeks or months. I just don't know. I doubt it. After all, I'm sure the veterans of Lakewood VFW Post 10646 did all they could to keep the horrors of combat away from our homeland. Many of their friends died, keeping war far away from their families, and these guys were not about to change that mission now. Especially with me.

See...there's the movie war stuff, and then there's the real war stuff. If you don't know the difference, you weren't there. End of story.

I picked up little shadows of stories: "These guys were on Iwo Jima," "That guy fought off Japanese kamakazi attacks from the deck of a ship," "Those guys are Marines . . ." By the way . . . never, but never, call a guy or gal an "ex"-Marine. It doesn't work that way.

A smile, a firm handshake, the Pledge of Allegance . . . The passing of leadership to a new team. If you look close, the gray hairs disappear. In the blink of an eye, their brown wool covers (don't even THINK of calling them hats) bring your imagination to a vision of young hearts filled with simple goals: to keep this country free, and come back to their wives and sweethearts. And make and keep peace in their homes, churches, families, and lives.

They talked about decorating the graves, too. There are so many graves to decorate. This VFW post alone will decorate hundreds of graves for this coming Memorial Day. The guys lost four of their own from the Post this past year.

After eight decades of life, these guys could be coasting. But they don't work that way. They visit schools, post the colors for various groups (that's bringing in the flag), and go out on parades just to keep the spirit of patriotism kindled in our hearts. They have their Relief Fund with the sale of those poppies.

They also participate in prayer services. Don't you pray? Then you've never been in combat.

They make sure that America's Prisoners-of-War and Missing-in-Action are remembered, too. Always. These guys are awesome.

Americans these days are divided on the Iraq War, as they have been with other conflicts during other times. But the men and women who serve, and have served, on the front line of Freedom deserve our continued respect and admiration, whatever one's political point of view.

As Rudyard Kipling wrote in his poem "Tommy," "Makin' mock o' uniforms, that guard you while you sleep, Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap..."