The Veterans of Memorial Day

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There’s a Memorial Day parade every year in the beach town where my parents live. 

I didn’t make it this year, but my parents went and said it wasn’t much different. 

You have the high school marching band, military Jeeps, fire trucks, the town council, the Women’s Club, the Little League, the Boy Scouts and the Veterans of Foreign Wars marching with other clubs, including my favorite, The Women of Irish Heritage. 

Two years ago we attended and Dad struck up a conversation with two men nearby.

You could tell they served because of the blue baseball hats they were wearing emblazoned with the names of the ships they served on in the Navy. 

It turned out the three men had participated in three different wars (WWII, Korea and Vietnam). All, however, were assigned to the same type of ship: a destroyer. 

They compared details about their stints on the so-called Tin Can, the nickname given the destroyer because of its relatively thin hull and light construction versus battleships and cruisers. It was more vulnerable, but also more maneuverable. 

It was remarkable to listen to the men bond over a shared experience separated by decades. It was amazing for me to see the immediate connection they had. 

My favorite part was when dad corrected them about the layout of the ships, including the location of the radio room. 

Two of my father’s friends from high school, Bob Vogel and Ted Lange, died in the Battle of the Bulge. Dad enlisted shortly after that and did a year of training before the war ended in 1945.  

Memorial Day was established to honor the fallen. 

But we should also thank the living who remember their sacrifice. 

BRIEF OBSERVATIONS

BAILEY MANSION: James Bailey of Barnum & Bailey Circus fame built a mansion at 150th street in Manhattan in 1888. It cost $160,000 to build ($5 million today). It went through a number of owners before being put on the market in 2008 for $10 million. I looked at it at the time and thought - it would be amazing — but there was no way I could afford it. It turned out that after getting no bids it was sold in 2009 for just $1.4 million. Yet another reminder that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!

FASHION: I took this photo in Harlem of a guy rocking a jacket with the message: That’s A Awful Lot of Cough Syrup. Love the look.

CAR WASH: I came across this mobile car wash in Washington Heights, a section of northern Manhattan. It’s not the only car car wash in the area but its the most colorful.

INFLUENCERS: My friend Alex Banks sat down to interview Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently. It reminded me again how influencers like Alex who has a large social media following are taking time and attention away from the traditional media.

GEN Z: My friend Eric Traub interviewed Noah Greenberg of Stacker on his podcast about how Gen Z is becoming more interested in current events and news focused articles instead of long-form evergreen content.

Please reach out if you have any thoughts about today’s newsletter. I enjoy hearing from readers. Send me a message if you want to talk or meet up if you are in NYC.

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