My family, like many families in this country, has a tradition of military service. We are not war mongers or part of some warrior class; no member of our family has ever attended a military academy and only one of the people pictured above sought the military as a career. I do not wish to diminish the service of those who were drafted and did there duty but I think military service at least in combat units should be on a volunteer basis.  I am of the opinion that in a free and democratic society any war that cannot be fought with volunteer troops should not be fought. There is no greater form of democracy than a muster.  A muster is an assemble in preparation for battle.  It is far to easy for politicians to vote to send other people and other people’s kids to war to permit a draft.  If the government cannot muster a volunteer army to fight a war that is a pretty good indicator the people of this nation are not behind the war and we should stay home. All that said, I am proud of my families tradition of military service.  

This picture was put together as a Veteran’s Day salute to the many members of our family that have served in the military. Left to right on top – Eddie Warford, US Army; Fred Griffith was regular Army before WWII and served most of the war in the First Special Services Force ( Devil’s Brigade); Jinnings G. Burruss was an assault boat driver, USN, and served in the Battle of Okinawan; William Armand, USMC, Vietnam; Kenneth Warford, USAF, Vietnam; David Warford, USN; Jerry Warford USAF, Vietnam; Olga Griffith, Olga was my grandmother and she was not a veteran but she was a welder and built warships during WWII and I choose to honor her with the other veterans in my family.

May God bless the many Veterans that have served this country and especially bless the many warriors that suffer still from wounds, both physical and mental.