Why We Will Rue The Demise of The Greatest Generation

Austin (Bud) Kingston passed away last week at the age of 87 with very little fanfare.  There were no news people  around to note his demise. There was no mention on CNN, Fox News, or any other news outlet about his Reality Show, drug addiction, questionable talent for entertainment  or sexual deviancy, for he had none of those. Far from it.

    Bud was born on his parents humble farm in southern New Jersey in 1925.  He worked hard, learned to respect his elders and was eternally grateful for what he did have, even though it would appear to be abject poverty in today’s world. They somehow made it through the Great Depression of the 1930’s.

   It was two days after he turned eighteen in January of 1943 that he enlisted in the United States Navy to do his part in protecting his country from the evils of Nazi Germany and the Imperial forces of Japan.  He served as a coxswain aboard the USS Cowpens in the Pacific Theater, based in the Philippines, until the job was done and he was honorably discharged in 1946.  He earned numerous medals, including a Purple Heart. that resulted in a ‘bum knee’ that he spent the rest of his days with.

     He returned to New Jersey and settled in Freehold, got married, had kids, and worked every day to keep the roof over their heads and have food on the table.  It was the thing to do and it was rewarding that he was able to provide for his family, bum knee and all.  He marveled at the progress of the country he risked his life for, and felt blessed that he had so much more than his folks had ever dreamed possible.

    That his death was not noted in the Fluffington Post, the National Enquirer, or any of the other inane media outlets is not surprising.  Bud was just a humble American Hero. I’m sure that they had more pressing issues to attend to.  Perhaps a drug addled actor or rock star was getting locked up, or one of the Kardashian tramps got a pimple on their ample backsides. 

    In any event, it didn’t matter to Bud.  He only joined with millions of others to save the world from disaster, and kept our country free.  He considered himself lucky to just make it home alive, bum knee and all.