30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

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Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Old Glory and America's Heroes

Joining the Armed Forces and offering to serve and protect your country has to be one of the most honorable things you can do.  When I was a kid, I grew up hearing about the Vietnam War and for decades wondered (and worried) if I'd be drafted to serve.  The day never came.

That's because there are plenty of brave Americans who volunteered and signed up on their own, so that there wasn't a need for a draft.  I will always be thankful for them as well as every brave person who has served our country.  Thank you.

This post is dedicated to you.

Last year, I discovered a cool card set (probably on someone's blog) produced by Panini that honors ten baseball legends who not only entertained baseball fans, they also served in our country's Armed Forces.  As much as I harp on Panini and their baseball products, this set's design really caught my eye.

I ended up picking up the first five cards in the set off of eBay for $5 (free shipping + 46¢ tax).  At the time I thought this was a complete set, but that's what happens when you don't do your homework.  But let's not dwell on that.  Here's a look at what I have so far:


The backs are well designed too with Old Glory flapping in the wind...


Here's a closer look at the first card in the set:

2012 Panini With Honors #1

Did you know that Jackie was in Hawaii just two days prior to the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor?  People collect cards for different reasons, but I think most of us can appreciate a card that teaches us something new.

Here is today's question of the day...

Did you serve in your country's Armed Forces?  Do you know anyone who has?

One of my childhood buddies signed up for the Marines right out of high school and is still serving to this day.  My father signed up for the Coast Guard and served during the Korean War.  Plus I've had several uncles, cousins, and co-workers who have also served.  And I have hung out with two bloggers who are veterans as well: Rod and Ryan.  Thanks again to all of you.

I hope all of you have a very happy and safe Veteran's Day!  Until tomorrow... happy Tuesday and sayonara!
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11 comments:

  1. John SharpNovember 10, 2020 at 3:15 PM

    Love those cards, I'll have to check them out.

    I'm a US Navy Veteran, 1985-89, appreciate your words for all our veterans out there.

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  2. night owlNovember 10, 2020 at 4:32 PM

    My dad was in the Air Force in the 1950s. I've written about it a few times before.

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  3. sg488November 10, 2020 at 4:59 PM

    My dad fought in World War 2 and the Korean War,thanks to all the veterans out there.

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  4. Steve at 1975BaseballCards.comNovember 10, 2020 at 7:07 PM

    Those are very cool cards. Got a chuckle about not dwelling on that, been there. I completely respect all our servicemen and women!

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  5. SumoMenkoManNovember 10, 2020 at 7:40 PM

    Whoop, whoop. Thanks buddy. Hope you can come out and watch one of our rocket launches one of these days.

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  6. The Snorting BullNovember 10, 2020 at 7:49 PM

    I like these cards, I don't know if I have ever seen them before.

    I did not serve, but my grandfather was in World War II.

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  7. Baltmoss68November 11, 2020 at 8:37 AM

    Nice post and thanks for the kind words! I served in the Army 87-97. My dad and a step brother served in the Navy. Another brother was a Marine. 2 cousins were also Army.

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  8. Nick VossbrinkNovember 11, 2020 at 3:37 PM

    Brother in Law is in the Army and my cousin in the Navy.

    And those cards are nice though I'm a little bothered that the flag shown is not the flag that corresponds to when they served.

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  9. SeanNovember 11, 2020 at 7:17 PM

    I was a corporal in the Canadian army from 1995 to 1999. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but I was pretty lucky as that was a relatively peaceful time to be a soldier (I never served overseas). Most of my buddies who stayed in after I got out ended up serving in Afghanistan. None of them died, but some of them have been struggling with PTSD for years after that.

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  10. FujiNovember 14, 2020 at 5:51 AM

    john sharp - thank you for the kind words and most importantly for your service.

    night owl - our dads might be similar in age. my pops was in the coast guard in the early 50's. my memory is terrible, but i'm sure i've read at least one of those posts.

    sg488 - just watched another series on netflix (the liberator) that showed just how tough war is on soldiers (both mentally and physically). your dad is a true hero.

    steve at 1975baseballcards.com - i'm the perfect example of why collectors should do their homework before clicking that buy it now button. i'll probably just pick up the remaining cards on sportlots one day.

    sumomenkoman - that sounds awesome. i know you and your team are working your tails off. thanks for that.

    the snorting bull - your grandfather is a real american hero. one of my dad's friends was in the 442 and i remember getting goosebumps hearing his stories. it was an honor sitting down and talking to him.

    baltmoss68 - thanks again to you, your dad, your brothers, and your cousins for their service to our country. you're family is filled with heroes

    nick vossbrink - good idea. didn't even think about the flag. that would have made the card so much cooler had they matched it with their years of service.

    sean - thank you for your service. and sorry to hear that you have friends suffering from ptsd. having never served myself, i will never truly know the affect wartime has on the mind. i can only imagine based on what i've seen on television, movies, and based on the stories of others and it's not something i'd wish on anyone.

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  11. MattNovember 16, 2020 at 4:02 AM

    No I havent but mad respect and thanks for those who have. My grandfather on the other hand served in world.war 1

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