“The genius of the United States… is always most in the common people.”

In his 1855 Preface to Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman wrote:

The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people.

On this Veterans Day, let us honor the “common people” and/or the memories of the same by sharing their names.

My Dad, William C. Klaczynski (1928-1975), served 20 years in the United States Navy. His service to our country took him away from home for many, many months at a time when I was a child, but I learned from him and my Mom, who carried our home front, that there is always something deeper and larger than the individual… and that is the strength of our nation.

I honor my Dad today.

Our family friend, Dimitri Gavriel (1974-2004), served our country in the United States Marines. He knew, too, that intangible something deeper and larger than the individual. He lost his life in Iraq. I honor Dimi today.

My Uncle Ed and Uncle Bob (Edward F.Burke and Robert Burke) left their home in Boston and their mother, my Nana, during World War II to serve their country with a sense of deep commitment to freedom. They are 92 and 86 years old now, respectively.

These men are my heroes.

Please add the names and stories of your people on this day that honors our Veterans, oftentimes our common people, our heroes.

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I first published this post on Veterans Day 2008. I received beautiful Comments here.