I had packed by travel backpack full of the clothes I plan to take to Europe. That did not include a suit and tie. Vets I had been palling around with all week showed up to this dinner in full uniform. A first Lieutenant Colonel’s uniform with all its medals and gold buttons is a sight to behold. I felt so under dressed. My long sleeved camping shirt was baggier than I remembered. My whole concern was that it would block the sun and offer some warmth. I felt that having a fold down collar made it “formal.”
Major General Michele Link was the guest speaker and she was projected on the big screen via Zoom. She spoke to us from the 75th Battle Command Training Division. I heard several vets say that you need a PHD to get into the 75th these days. My dad who served as a 1st Lieutenant with the 75th in WWII was two years into his NYU Engineering College degree when he felt he had to drop out to train for service overseas.
Michele explained that the younger generation has grown up with technology and AI and other tech tools are changing the face of warfare. Smart guided drones replace manned missions. She said leading these bright minds is helping her keep pace with the fast accelerating pace of technology.
There were four seats open at the table we were sitting at. That meant that there were four extra deserts on the table. We sampled multiple deserts as Michele spoke. I used every minute I had to block in the sketch.
There was a raffle and the highly polished officer next to me with a bow tie had won a boat load of items at the raffle the previous night. He was given a box to load up all his winnings. Sure enough he won multiple times at this dinner, but then the tide turned, and the people at the table seated across from us kept winning constantly. They had come to honor a father, husband and soldier who had attended the 75th reunions often through the years. Later the president of the 75th association noted that it was like he was reminding the family hat he was still looking over them. His wife was a petite woman in pink with a white shawl. She picked up a metal that was given in honor of her husband who had touched so many.
There was so much laughter that night but also a tinge of sadness for those who had been lost since the last reunion. One vet had posted a picture of himself on a beach with the surf roaring behind him. The next day he was deceased, having been pulled out by a rip tide and drowned. Life is short, seize the day and live loud.