Retreads

Retread. The term means different things to different people depending on the context in which it is used. Vehicles? Especially semis and aircraft? It means tires that have a new strip of rubber treading applied to an existing tire instead of manufacturing a whole new tire. Retreads use less rubber and are less expensive.

Speaking of the military? Today it usually means someone who served a hitch in one military branch, was discharged, and at some time later enlisted for another hitch in an entirely different branch. Examples from a couple of people I know. One served four years as a Marine, was a civilian for a couple of years then signed on with the Army. Another was a Sailor for a hitch, got out then also joined the Army for a hitch or two. Both of them are considered Retreads. Old service members brought back to another branch.

But this was not the original meaning of the term. Originally it applied to someone who served in World War I and was recalled or signed up again to serve in World War II. Remember that there was a two decade gap between the end of WWI and the start of WWII. 

A year or so ago I took on the task of auditing a nearby church cemetery. A quick visual scan made me pretty certain that there were a number of graves in it not noted in Find A Grave. So I spend a few afternoons systematically examining every marker that I could find and insuring it was accurately listed in the system. In the end I came close to doubling the number of memorials listed for the cemetery.

One of these was one of the very few real, old school, original definition Retreads I have ever seen.

I noted that Staff Sergeant Miller was born just over a month before my paternal grandfather. Sadly he passed some six years before my grandfather who himself passed away four months before I was born. I could only wonder if he, too, had grandchildren who would never have the opportunity to know him.

One of these days I am going to get my hands on D/2 Biological Cleaner and see just how well it removes the stains from stones like these. These people deserve it.