Gerald (Jerry) Yandura:  

There's a lot I could talk about , but the first thing I want to say is that I had left so many friends behind, and wish that I had kept in touch with so many of them. I was going to delete the rest of my story, but I have decided to add this instead. I can only say that I am deeply sorry for leaving so many friends behind as I started the next chapter of my life. My regrets now are that I never changed my life sooner, to have righted many wrongs, apologized to many I may have hurt, and at times never showed more consideration and love for those that felt more for me, than being just a friend. Unfortunately I found out too late just how much a few individuals really did care for me, and I was too blind and immature to realize it, and therefore ruined such friendships and relationships. After graduating, I served four years in the Marine Corps, including a year in Viet Nam, along with the opportunity to visit and see 11 countries. This was truly a wonderful gift, to have seen how people live and survive in other countries. It made me respect our country, and what we have, and so much to be thankful for. There were times that I wondered if my time served had any meaning, and a good friend of mine, John Lucas, sent the following quote to me, and I'd like to share it. "What is a Veteran? A "Veteran" - whether active duty, discharged, retired, or Reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to, and including his life." That is an Honor...Expand for more