Memorial Day

bruno

bruno

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Monday is Memorial Day- the day in which we remember those who have fallen in the service of the nation. The link below lists the names and faces of all of the 4361 Soldiers, 1349 Marines, 125 Airmen, 170 Sailors and 1 Coast Guardsman who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan- a total of 6006 service members. They join 1.34 million other American military members who died in the nations wars. Memorial Day isn't about parades, barbecues, the beginning of summer or any of the other things associated with it- it is set aside for us to honor those who literally gave everything for us. So for the members of this forum especially- please spend some time reflecting on that sacrifice, and saying thanks for those who marched off because the country asked them to do so. "For I too am a man under authority with soldiers under me, ... say the word Lord and it will be done."

http://www.militarytimes.com/valor/index.php
 
Yes it is time to reflect again and so thanks to all of you who have worn or do wear the uniform. PBS will broadcast the Memorial Day show and it makes me cry every time. Some of us forget what others have done for us. The sacrifices made not being with family even dying for us and our GREAT country, the United States of America. So that we can sit at a picnic and laugh. Special thanks to my late Dad (Army Air Corps/Air Force) and my late brother (Marines) and my wife (Army). I only wish I could have joined, put of course with cerebral palsy one can't. Also, I tried. Thanks to all though in ROTC, at the service academies, as well. Thanks for all that you do for me. And I truly love all of who do what you do.

God Bless and God Speed,

RGK
 
Eternal Father, Strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee,
for those in peril on the sea.

Eternal Father, grant, we pray
To all Marines, both night and day,
The courage, honor, strength, and skill
Their land to serve, thy law fulfill;
Be thou the shield forevermore
From every peril to the Corps.

Eternal Father, Lord of hosts,
Watch o'er the men who guard our coasts.
Protect them from the raging seas
And give them light and life and peace.
Grant them from thy great throne above
The shield and shelter of thy love.

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
And those who on the ocean ply;
Be with our troops upon the land,
And all who for their country stand:
Be with these guardians day and night
And may their trust be in they might.

We remember the fallen, we remember those who gave the last full measure of themselves for us.
Fair winds and following seas
 
http://www.militarytimes.com/valor/index.php

I like the Navy Hymn-"Oh hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the Sea". I also like the hymn: "Mansions of the Lord" which you would have heard sung by the West Point Glee Club in the soundtrack of the movie "We were Soldiers" and also in the funeral of Ronald Reagan
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqNkVnC0LIY

To fallen soldiers let us sing,
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing,
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding,
No more fight,
No prayers pleading thru the night,
Just Divine embrace,
Eternal light,
In the Mansions of the Lord

Where no mothers cry
And no children weep,
We will stand and guard
Though the angels sleep,
All through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord
Click to expand...
Safely rest CPT Scott Cummins
 
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bruno said:
http://www.militarytimes.com/valor/index.php

I like the Navy Hymn-"Oh hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the Sea". I also like the hymn: "Mansions of the Lord" which you would have heard sung by the West Point Glee Club in the soundtrack of the movie "We were Soldiers" and also in the funeral of Ronald Reagan
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqNkVnC0LIY
To fallen soldiers let us sing,
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing,
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding,
No more fight,
No prayers pleading thru the night,
Just Divine embrace,
Eternal light,
In the Mansions of the Lord

Where no mothers cry
And no children weep,
We will stand and guard
Though the angels sleep,
All through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord
Safely rest CPT Scott Cummins
Click to expand...

I thought that this excerpt from Chaplain (Col) Jim Parks New Market Day prayer on May 15th at VMI's annual New Market parade is appropriate. - substitute for "VMI"- "veterans" and for "the Institute" substitute "America" and it speaks for all fallen soldiers who we honor on Memorial Day. We are all beneficiaries of their sacrifice- remember them and BE WORTHY of them :

" .... their sacrifice and the spirit by which they fought and died has produced for this institute a place in history, a place in our country and a place in our lives.
On this day from this ground their blood cries out to us- uphold our honor, prepare for sacrifice, and their cry becomes a compelling command when joined by the voices of every generation of VMI alumni who have lived honorably and many who have died sacrificially: Let the Institute be heard from again in your day! God by Your grace, grant their request.Amen"


And to add to this post- the Army Times reports 7 soldiers killed today outside of Kandahar.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/05/ap-7-us-soldiers-among-dead-in-afghan-blast-052611/
 
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I'm glad we get a reminder every now and then what Memorial Day is about. It's not about veterans. It's about service members we've lost. The ultimate sacrifice. Veterans have their day. Memorial Day is about something else. :thumb:
 
If you are like most Americans, you will spend a part of this unofficial start to the summer and 3-day weekend perhaps going to a local retail outlet like Walmart or Target. Perhaps you will see a few elderly gentlemen or ladies outside the entrance to this store, selling miniature red flowers. I suggest you purchase one (they're usually very cheap, $1), and make sure you wear it on Monday.

Some of your neighbors or friends will ask: "What's up with the flower on your shirt?". I then recommend you simply remind them of it's significance, and what Memorial Day is really all about.

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

http://www.cal-mum.com/poppy.htm

Perhaps even mention the poem "In Flanders Field"

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.

Simple gestures (such as also flying your flag on Monday), making sure your fellow Americans are educated to remember and give thanks to those who gave all so they can enjoy, in freedom, that 3-day weekend....
 
Tom Hanks movie "Saving Private Ryan" is a fiction. However, the last lines of the movie spoken by an aged former Private Ryan in the Amercian Cemetary in Normandy strike me as absolutely the question we should be asking ourselves on Memorial Day: "Am I a good Man? Tell me I have lived a good life". Have I lived a life worthy of the huge sacrifice that others have made on my behalf?
As TPG does with his driver- we should pay our respects everyday and honor them by our actions.
Peace and have a happy and thoughtful Memorial day weekend.
 
The national moment of silence is at 1500 eastern time on Monday.
 
I served as an advisor for the service project for one of the new Eagle Scouts in our troop. I had given him an idea for the project and he carried it out flawlessly. This Memorial Day, his project will be officially dedicated and I am honored to be a part of it.

In our city, there is an old cemetery that dates back to the early 1870's. The older cemetery had filled up, so they created a new one. It became a tradition that on every Memorial Day, the Union veterans would form in a rectangle around the flagpole that was placed at the cemetery and honor their fallen brethren. As the veterans died, they were buried in the rectangle to mark a permanent place for them. There was even a confederate soldier who was a friend with them, but even in death, his grave was located near them, but just outside the rectangle. Slowly, each man was replaced with a headstone. Over time, the flagpole rusted and was removed. A year ago when I stopped at the cemetery, I saw someone had placed a rusted piece of scrap iron in the hole for the old flagpole and a tattered old flag was hung on it. I informed the young man about it and the story about the veterans. He got donations for and placed a new 25 foot tall flagpole in the center of the rectangle of graves to replace the old one and got an electrician to install lighting on it so it can be illuminated 24/7.
 
At Tomb of the Unknowns, a ritual of remembrance

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...of-remembrance/2011/05/23/AGoKWnCH_story.html
Like so many great romantic moments in the arts, it begins with the tolling of a bell. The sound dies. Hushed anticipation. Finally, the soldier makes his entrance — no ordinary recruit, but the relief commander of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, taking part in the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

You could land an airplane on the flatness of his hat, balance teacups on his shoulders. He has been polished and honed to perfection, a man as monument, symbol and embodiment of order, respect and dignity....

...“It solidifies your present with your past,” says Michael B. Barrett, a retired brigadier general in the Army Reserve who teaches history at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. “Whether you’ve stormed the heights at Gettysburg or not, you’re sharing the same ritual as those guys did, and you know that 10 to 20 years down the road, some soldier will have taken your place doing the same thing.”

But the ritual surrounding the Tomb of the Unknowns is special. It is a potent symbol of the ultimate sacrifice, made by those who cannot be returned to their loved ones, who perhaps can never be laid to rest, and who gave not only their life but their name to their country. The poignant paradox is that by losing their identity, they have transcended it. The unknown soldier becomes every soldier.

“In a broader sense,” Barrett says, “that tomb represents everyone who has fallen.”

The tomb’s inscription reads: Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.

But among the earthly, it is the sentinels of the 3rd U.S. Infantry who know him best....
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05272011-50v.jpg
 
You know what is annoying me right now? Westboro Baptist Church is going to be picketing tomorrow at Arlington. I know that they are heartless fiends that have no consideration for anyone but themselves; however, it just annoys me. If this was my days before enlisting, I'd find some counter-protest to take part in, but IDK if that is something that would work out well now...

Sorry, just ranting... =/
 
jwalsh- they annoy most of us- however, the best course in your situation is to just avoid them and face them down by honoring all of those in the cemetary. Buy a Poppy from a legionaire- put a flag on a grave- just salute and fly a flag.
 
Military names 6 soldiers killed in Afghanistan

RIP Screaming Eagles- God bless your families and all of those who are daily putting their lives on the line.
WASHINGTON — The military says six soldiers assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky., were killed in Afghanistan when their unit was hit by an improvised explosive device.

The Department of Defense says the six died Thursday of wounds from the attack in Kandahar province.

They were:
• 27-year-old 1st Lt. John M. Runkle of West Salem, Ohio.
• 29-year-old Staff Sgt. Edward D. Mills Jr. of New Castle, Pa.
• 35-year-old Staff Sgt. Ergin V. Osman of Jacksonville, N.C.
• 25-year-old Sgt. Thomas A. Bohall of Bel Aire, Kan.
• 21-year-old Spc. Adam J. Patton of Port Orchard, Wash.
• 39-year-old Sgt. Louie A. Ramos Velazquez of Camuy, Puerto Rico.
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jwalsh1 said:
You know what is annoying me right now? Westboro Baptist Church is going to be picketing tomorrow at Arlington. I know that they are heartless fiends that have no consideration for anyone but themselves; however, it just annoys me. If this was my days before enlisting, I'd find some counter-protest to take part in, but IDK if that is something that would work out well now...

Sorry, just ranting... =/
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The irony is that many died so they have that very right. I don't want to continue to fuel your ire jwalsh because your feelings are just IMO. I doubt protesting the protestors would do much good nor will it change their opinions. It would just give these people more of a soap box to stand on than they already have, and take more away from the attention that should be directed to those that gave all.
 
Thank you to all of the serving family members of service members who have died defending this great Nation. I'll thank those service members in my prayers.
 
bjkuds said:
The irony is that many died so they have that very right. I don't want to continue to fuel your ire jwalsh because your feelings are just IMO. I doubt protesting the protestors would do much good nor will it change their opinions. It would just give these people more of a soap box to stand on than they already have, and take more away from the attention that should be directed to those that gave all.
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<rant>

Before I was enlisted, they picketed the funerals of victims of a local school shooting. Our counter protest was holding a huge tarp up blocking the families view of the protesters. Simple, yet effective. They family didn't have to see the horridness of those evil beings. Just a heads up, they do what they do, not for religious purposes, but for the lawsuits. They do it so someone will verbally or physically attack them directly and they can sue, not only them, but the local police department for not adequately protecting them. If I were to counter protest them tomorrow, I'd set up a booth asking for donations in the name of WBC to local charities to support the veterans, the same people they are protesting against. I would even send thank you cards for their presence for making my whole booth possible; however, I didn't know they were going to be there until Friday, and I don't have a group of people to go with me... You know, strength in numbers.

</rant>

Sorry, I'll stop posting after a night of drinking with some friends, and I'll just go to sleep now. =P
 
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