Memorial Day

[VitaBene]

On this long weekend, please remember all of those fallen sons and daughters that have paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedoms and liberties.

I have special thoughts for my great uncle, Jim Brady, who, as a member of the 1st Infantry Division landed on Sicily. Transferred to the 29th Division, he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, then served through France, Belgium, and the Rhineland. He was a radio/telegraph technician, stringing cable and phones from the front to the command posts. I have his service records (and flag from his casket) and read them now and then. His discharge papers sum his service up succinctly, listing the countries he served in, duties, and the final statement "performed these duties in combat"

He arrived home safely and lived to be 80. He lived his last few years with my wife and I. He was a quiet man who never spoke of the war.

God Bless America and all of those under arms today.

[This'nThat]

Whenever I'm on the road, if I see a uniformed soldier at the same restaurant, I'll call the waitress over and pay for his meal. I make a point of leaving before he gets the bill so that it remains anonymous. Any and all uniformed personnel are invited to cut in front of me if I'm in line. And if I happen to get bumped to a first class airline seat (because of frequent flyer status), I always give that seat up to any military person.

And I'm finally seeing the airlines also do their part. Some airlines are allowing the military to board first. And while at Reagon airport the other day, I saw TSA open up the ropes to let a soldier go in front of our very, very long line of people waiting to get through the security area. Simply because he was in uniform.

I encourage everyone to do the small things -- whenever possible -- to make their lives a little better.

[RailroadJoe]

I had two brothers that served in the Pacific. From Guadalcanel to the Phillipines. Both received Purple Hearts and lived to be over 80. Both gone now and they never talked about the war.

[TOAD]

http://www.usmemorialday.org/images/cards/pc_gar_grave2.jpg

Please remember the reason for the holiday. It's not just another day off.

[Winni-Retired]

My son arrived home " SAFE " from the war a few days ago on May 12th.

His company of Marines did not suffer any injuries, but his batallion lost two Marines and several were injured. My son-in-law, a US Marine, is also home safe. having returned a few weeks ahead of my son.

We will take the two electric candles out of the window after the Memorial Day Parade and wreath laying in my town. The double blue star flag will remain in the window.

I will be marching, with the veterans in the Memorial Day parade, wearing a somewhat, no greatly altered, Army uniform from the sixties.

This will be a special morning for me, as I will also be marching with my son, wearing his Marine Officer Blues.

Each of us will be carring my dad's dog tags from WW-II. I will also have with me a dog tags of the best officer I ever served with and under. Someone that taught me how to lead from the front and who has remained 23 years old in my mind for what is now 45 years

[songkrai]

Memorial Day is a day to pay homage to those veterans who have died. And a day to reflect upon the sacrifices for all of our fallen heros.

And let us never forget our Gold Star mothers and Gold Star fathers. They too have sacrificed much.

Visit any cemetary and find any marker with a flag. Stop and reflect and if religious - say a prayer.

We have a lot to be thankful for as some have put on a uniform so that all of us can be free.

[Misty Blue]

Last week I attended the "Moultonborough's gentlemans breakfast" at the Lions club. It is a monthly get together usually with a guest speaker. This month we has two exchange students from Europe, one from Sweden and one from Germany. Two very fine young ladies.

They chatted about their experiance here in Moultonborough and then the German student said something interesting.

While she did speak about schools, money, etc. "over here" what hit me was her take on Americans.

Unlike at "home" people here are friendly and open. The clerk at the store, without asking, comes over to help. (And yes I did go to Lowes today and saw Pepper). If you have a flat on RT. 25, within minutes there are strangers there to get you going again. Apparently not the norm in Europe. The next thing was flags.

It seems that in Germany you may see a national flag at the police station or the "Rathause" (Town hall, sorry about the spelling, my german is old) but not often elsewhere. Here in the Good Old USA Old Glory is everywhere. In almost every store, public building and home. We are proud of our nation and it's people. We are proud of our differences that ultimatly make us stronger in every respect. Old Glory is our the simbol of what we are, who we are and what we stand for.

The weekend after Sept. 11th I was on duty at Station Portsmouth and Deb's Joy made a vidio of a small fleet of "just folks", flags flying high passing through Braun Bay at a respectful headway speed. When I got home she showed the film to me and I had to leave the room for a 'Private moment". I was never more moved or proud.

So this weekend you don't have to salute every flag that you see, but do see them and remember that every one of those stars and stipes is a thank you to all of our veterans past, present and future.

I'll step down from my soap box now.

Misty Blue

[ApS]

After all these years, my Dad now speaks of The War—though his voice trails-off when he speaks of crew members and pilots who were killed in his presence. :eek2:

I asked my Dad—and other WW2 Veterans—"How did we win that War?" They have me convinced we came close to losing it all. :(

So thank every Veteran—though they will say, "We weren't The Heroes".

[This'nThat]

—"How did we win that War?" They have me convinced we came close to losing it all.
We were very close to losing the war. If Hitler hadn't been such a poor commander -- and if he hadn't been a dictator who didn't trust his Generals -- the world would be very different today.

[SAMIAM]

Says a lot about you, VB, that you took your uncle in during his last years. It's not easy caring for an elderly person and you deserve a huge pat on the back for making an old veteran happy as he ends his journey.

[TOAD]

to all my fellow veterans out there.

So many gone, but not forgotten.

http://www.usmemorialday.org/images/cards/pc_gar_grave2.jpg

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But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

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Abraham Lincoln.....Gettysburg, Pennsylvania ...November 19, 1863
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[Winnipesaukee Divers]

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
3 May 1915

[Rattlesnake Guy]

During a discussion on February 14, 2002, he was asked how he felt representing a country commonly perceived as "the Satan of contemporary politics." Here is the relevant part of his reply:
[F]ar from being the Great Satan, I would say that we are the Great Protector. We have sent men and women from the armed forces of the United States to other parts of the world throughout the past century to put down oppression. We defeated Fascism. We defeated Communism. We saved Europe in World War I and World War II. We were willing to do it, glad to do it. We went to Korea. We went to Vietnam. All in the interest of preserving the rights of people. And when all those conflicts were over, what did we do? Did we stay and conquer? Did we say, "Okay, we defeated Germany. Now Germany belongs to us? We defeated Japan, so Japan belongs to us"? No. What did we do? We built them up. We gave them democratic systems which they have embraced totally to their soul. And did we ask for any land? No, the only land we ever asked for was enough land to bury our dead. And that is the kind of nation we are.

[VitaBene]

Thank you all for you thoughtful posts and words on this holiday that, to me, rivals Independence Day.

John