As Memorial Day approaches....

[S&W Fan]

....I know you guys will take time from your cook-outs, parties, etc. to pay tribute to our fallen members of the armed services who paid the ultimate price.

I'm very fortunate my dad returned safe from WWII and my older son has come home safe from his three deployments in Iraq/Afghanistan. Unfortunately we know too many who didn't.

RIP to all of them.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Tru dat....tru dat.

 

[shouldazagged]

Amen. Rest in peace. You earned it.

 

[carpriver]

I plan to visit the local cemetery and pay my respect to as many veterans' graves a I can. I will place penny on each head stone or marker. As this is not the place were I was grew up I don't expect to see names I know but if I do I will put a nickel on the headstone. If you were in the same unit you leave a dime if you were with the person when he was killer a quarter is left.

 

[mstem]

My son retired in 2012 from the U.S. Army with 20 years service with the rank of First Sergeant. He spent from November 2005-December 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq. He lost one of his men & a close friend there. That place changed him. Part of my son is still in Ramadi, the part that I knew. He came home a different person, one that I hardly know. My thoughts this weekend are with him & all that have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. God bless all of them.

 

[Chipmunk6]

The Soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'no, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills just got too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'

~Author Unknown~​

 

[P&R Fan]

We are going to visit the graves this afternoon.
I always pause by one near my Great and Great-Great Grandparents. Young guy who died in WWI. Date of death was 11 November, 1918.
Last day of the war.
Jim

 

[captcook]

I'll visit my dads grave at the National Cemetery in Wilmington.
Cook, Garland B. (893rd)

 

[the ringo kid]

Sadly,around here-that day is just another excuse to have a BBQ and to get drunk. I KID not. Those sameohs--do the same thing on the fourth of July. Thankfully, more here observe it for what it should be observed for--than those that just party.

I used to have a nice Colonial flag that I would fly--but last year-some jerk stole my flag.

 

[walnutred]

As Commander of the local American Legion Post I'll be one of a couple people giving short speeches Monday at the town cemetery. I was in DC last weekend and among other things visited The Wall. Knowing I'd be there I decided to see if anyone from the town where I've lived for the past 20+ years was on the wall, and found one name. He was a 20 year old Lance Corporal listed as "member Bravo Company, 1/9 Marines, killed in an ambush on highway 561, July 2nd, 1967, Quang Tri Provence RSVN in Operation Buffalo.

I then noticed that were a LOT of young Marines with that same epitaph and a little research reveled that of the 400 Marines who started north on Highway 561 that morning 283 were killed, wounded or missing by the end of the day. He will be the topic of my speech Monday and I made a rubbing of his name on the wall. However it was very sobering to step back, look at the wall and realize that probably 3-4 horizontal feet of the wall around his name were all young men who died in that ambush on July 2, 1967.

 

[jack the toad]

As adjutant of our local American Legion Post, I helped put flags on vets graves yesterday as we do every year for Memorial and Veteran's Day.
This is in preparation for Monday's Memorial Day Service at our local cemetery. It's not much but it's the least we can do.
I hope our Post commander (Marines: VN- '67/68) can carry through with his speech then as he's currently undergoing chemo.

 

[galena]

Lest We Forget

A reminder of what Memorial Day is all about! I spent yesterday placing Old Glory on local Veteran's graves..............from the Civil War through Viet Nam.........luckily we have not lost anyone in the Middle East.

 

[Old TexMex]

To the top

 

[the ringo kid]

The only thing I can add about today that hasnt been said is--ill be taking a neighbor friend of mine--who is a USAF disabled vet--and will be paying to see a movie and have dinner. Its the best I can currently do. Leaving here in about an hour or so to do so.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

And to those who served in our nation's wars and survived the wars only to fall to time.

 

[S&WIowegan]

We have a local real estate tycoon here in Iowa who enlisted in the Navy at age 17. He ran a landing craft at Okinawa...live guys in, casualties back. When he got home he says he blocked most of the war out and got busy earning a living. He specifically mentioned he never went to vets clubs to drink and tell stories.

He became involved in the honor flights and re-connected with an old shipmate....the memories flooded back. He's 88 now and just got back from revisiting Okinawa. For those who don't know...the Okinawa carnage is what tipped the decision to drop the A-bombs.

My family has served in every war since the revolution including one of our daughters during Iraq. It's what we do but there's plenty of times I've wondered why.