Memorial Day Salute

While I cannot pretend to know how it feels to lose a comrade, I thought President Lincoln's words were way better than anything I could write.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. -Abe Lincoln
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My heartfelt gratitude goes out to all that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. May their families find comfort and solace.
REMEMBER.
 
Zaphod said:
My town has a small park right down the street from me. It is called Memorial Park, and is maybe a quarter acre. In it there is a statue of an American soldier, and a wall similar to the Vietnam Memorial where the names of area residents who have died over the years are inscribed.

On Memorial Day, a service is held there, and the place usually has a number of American flags all over. This is especially true on Memorial and Veteran's Days.

Considering the rathole my town has become, it's nice to see this small island of memory remaining. The statue of the soldier is actually post-9/11. :smile:
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We have the same similar type park in my town except we actually have individual memorials for each branch of service. We also ring a bell for each person from our community that has died in combat...that bell rang too many times today. Thank goodness we had about 1,500 people there today and our VFW was filled to capacity! We also had a large contingency of current service members that we all cherish and appreciate, total crowd today numbered in the thousands :thumb: Our tiny little community!

BTW, President Obama unfortunately had to miss the ceremony he attended today somewhere in his home town of Chicago, after he skipped Arlington due to rain in Chicago.
 
Maximus said:
BTW, President Obama unfortunately had to miss the ceremony he attended today somewhere in his home town of Chicago, after he skipped Arlington due to rain in Chicago.
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I am sure that the veterans buried in the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetary in Elwood, IL, where the President was scheduled to speak, are just as important as those who are buried in Arlington.
 
Just thought I'd add:

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Many religions have places where the faithful travel on pilgramages.

The place above should be a pilgramage for every American. It is the cemetary overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.

I've been there, and the only way I can describe the experience is to say that it is indescribable...
 
It's beautiful.
I've heard it said that the local French are still very appreciative of the Americans that died for them.
They don't all feel the way the news would lead us to believe.
 
plmmar said:
It's beautiful.
I've heard it said that the local French are still very appreciative of the Americans that died for them.
They don't all feel the way the news would lead us to believe.
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I will back you up with my own experience.

My parents took my sister and me to France on two occaisions in the 1980's. We found that the further from Paris one goes, the ******* Curve trends downward very quickly.

As for Normandy, the people there LOVE, and I do mean LOVE, Americans. We weren't in Normandy one day, but we were nearby, and stopped for lunch at a restaurant. When the waiter sat us down, he heard my sister and I speaking English (up to that point, he had only heard my father speaking French (badly) and Spanish with my mother). Upon hearing English, his eyes lit up.

"American?" he asked.

"Yes" we all kinda said at the same time.

"Ah!" he said, and ran off.

Now, each table in this place had the flag of a European country on it. It was just part of the decor.

Suddenly, the waiter reappeared, removed whatever flag was on our table, replaced it enthusiastically with an American flag, and stood back proudly.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!"

It was July 4th. :redface:

He got one hell of a tip from my father, who is a notorious penny-pincher. :biggrin:
 
The media likes to make it out that much of the world dislikes Americans. In my own travels I have found this to be quite untrue.
 
I spent the day feeling grateful, sad, and utterly pathetic...how can one live up to the sacrifices of those who have fought and died and their families...
 
Well I think sad and pathetic is a rather over the top. :confused: The point of memorial day is reflection and thanksgiving.
 
TPG your comment reminds me of Saving Private Ryan and the last scene, where he says to his wife (paraphrasing)...Tell me I earned it?

That scene even in my memory brings me to tears.
 
Chockstock said:
I spent the day feeling grateful, sad, and utterly pathetic...how can one live up to the sacrifices of those who have fought and died and their families...
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"Let us not be sad that such men have died. Instead, let us be glad that such men lived." - George S. Patton

(Not sure if it's a perfect quote, but the jist is definitely there.)


I would add that we should be immensely grateful that we as a nation still produce such people.
 
tpg said:
I have never watched that movie....:redface:
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HERETIC! BLASPHEMER! :eek::eek::eek:

Your penance is to go watch it NOW.

TWICE!

Sheesh! What's next? You haven't seen Band of Brothers? :rolleyes:
 
Pima said:
TPG your comment reminds me of Saving Private Ryan and the last scene, where he says to his wife (paraphrasing)...Tell me I earned it?

That scene even in my memory brings me to tears.
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tpg said:
I have never watched that movie....:redface:
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We watched it for the first time in our hotel room the night before R-Day.
Great movie - but that was not the time for 2 non-military parents to be watching it with their DS who was about to be 'welcomed' into the world of the Army. :eek:
 
That would be like a parent watching Top Gun the night before their child goes to UPT.
 
buff81 said:
We watched it for the first time in our hotel room the night before R-Day.
Great movie - but that was not the time for 2 non-military parents to be watching it with their DS who was about to be 'welcomed' into the world of the Army. :eek:
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In that case, I would not recommend watching Taking Chance either.
 
buff81 said:
We watched it for the first time in our hotel room the night before R-Day.
Great movie - but that was not the time for 2 non-military parents to be watching it with their DS who was about to be 'welcomed' into the world of the Army. :eek:
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And the Award for Worst Movie Timing Ever goes to..... :eek:
 
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