Welcome to the Memorial Day edition of WYFP (mostly written on Memorial Day weekend).

Today, I met drchelo and dmsilev downtown, and we went on an architectural cruise before going to Pizzeria Due's for lunch:

Mmm, mmm, mmm - looks good enough to eat, huh?

A year ago, I spent the Saturday before Memorial Day going to three different locations in Chicago for Chicago Treasures diaries, which I recall over the jump.

WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?

Remember this photo? I'm sure you've seen it a dozen times as it's made it's way around the web. Her name is Katherine Cathey and she's a mother, a mother of a son who never met his father Marine 2nd. Lt. Jim Cathey. Katherine mentions this photo in a video, of which I'll give you the link to in a moment, one you should view.

This is the story of two men that were large part of my formative years.  To me, they were just my grandfathers.  They were also veterans of the Great War, the War to End All War.  They fought on opposite sides in the war, but had an unspoken bond of respect that I never fully understood.

As a kid, I always had a fascination with war.  It had something to do with growing up on bases, particularly the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.  My favorite spot on Aberdeen was the line of armored vehicles surrounding the main road into the base.  My friends and I used to climb on the American and German tanks from WWII, our imagination fired from the television show Combat and war movies.  War was a game where the good guys always won.

My first real education about war came from trying to get my grandfathers to talk about their experiences during WWI.  I fully expected them to regale me with stories of heroism and glory.  They both winced whenever I asked.