memorial day

[rkcohen]

Memorial Day 2018

How shall we remember our veterans or say good-bye to our aging or fallen heroes?

Will it be Shakespeare?

The salute or the hand over our hearts when the flag is dipped in their honor?

From “Cymbeline, King of Britain:”

Fear no more the heat o' the sun,
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages

May God bless you all,
May God bless America.

 

[peyton]

On the Shawn Hannity radio show today, they played a song named "last Monday in may". It sure brought tears to my eyes. It was written by some veterans.

 

[onebadvet]

 

[steveno]

John Williams

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omd9_FJnerY[/ame]

 

[bill2000]

Not an American war but a universal sentiment on a somber day.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqN1glz4JY[/ame]

 

[kscharlie]

Rules for Memorial Day...

These are "rules" I ran across and thought them appropriate:

1. Don't wish me a Happy Memorial day. There is nothing happy about brave men and women dying.
2. It's not a holiday. It's a remembrance.
3. If you want to know the true meaning, visit Arlington or your local VA, not freaking Disneyland.
4. Don't tell me how great any one political power is. Tell me about Chesty Puller, George Patton, John Basilone, Dakota Meyer, Kyle Carpenter, Mitchell Paige, Ira Hayes, Chris Kyle and any other heroes too numerous to name. Attend a Bell Ceremony and shed some tears.
5. Don't tell me I don't know what I am talking about. I have carried the burden all too many times for my warriors who now stand their post for God.
6. Say a prayer... and then another.
7. Remember the Fallen for all the Good they did while they were here.
8. Reach out and let a Vet know you're there, we're losing too many in "peace".

 

[rwsmith]

I silently give....

I silently give a prayer and a big sigh of thanks.

How do you repay someone for giving their life?
I suppose just remembering is a good start.

 

[usmc2427765]

I lost four friends KIA during the months of November and December 1969 while serving with them in 1st Tank Bn 1st Marine Division. I returned home in good shape physically and I still wonder, why them and not me? I think of them most every day, mostly in the late evening when the house is quite and still. I thank God for the honor of having known and served with such brave men and I pray daily for our young men and women that go in harms way in this war which, like Vietnam, the politicians will not let us win due to the cancer of "political correctness".

 

[rkcohen]

years ago as a 1lt, i went to a Memorial day service at the luxembourg cemetery - after, we went out, made a right turn and went to the german cemetary.

where the priest who was with us, offered a prayer and said "im Tod sind wir Brüder geworden"

so high a price I thought to myself, to stay young forever.

God bless the American soldier - whose blood has made the least of us, better.

 

[Ron M.]

I posted the following on my FB page this morning...

Lest we forget, with freedom comes sacrifice..This Monday, remember those who are no longer with us but paid the ultimate price protecting that very freedom too many take for granted..

 

[kscharlie]

In June of 2011, I was honored and fortunate enough to accompany my Dad to Washington D.C. on Kansas Central Prairie Honor Flight #15. There were a total of 33 WW II veterans on this flight. These Honor Flights came about as a way to provide our veterans, at no cost to them, the opportunity to see first hand the memorials that have been erected in their honor.

Words cannot describe the feelings, the emotion of this experience. It was the highest honor of my life to be there with this group of men. More than anything, it was amazing to witness the constant "reception" these men received. Adults and children alike would come up to them to ask questions, and to thank them for their service and sacrifice. More than once, I had to brush away the tears in my eyes.

Dad passed away in 2015. I am so glad and thankful for this experience. I am so glad and thankful that Dad and others got to see the memorials that honored them and their service. I am so glad and thankful that there were and are men and women willing to sacrifice their lives for their country.

 

[kscharlie]

A few more pics...

 

[mstem]

Memorial Day is for those service men & women that lost their lives in service to our country during wars. No more, no less. Don't they teach this in schools anymore? Guess I answered my own question.

 

[ExcitableBoy]

Raise a glass, drink a toast. Give them all your silent honor and thanks from your heart.

They will hear it.

 

[Filo McShoe]

While I mourn the loss of our fallen heroes,
I take pride in the knowledge that their sacrifices have accounted for the preservation of life here and around the world.

 

[snubbyfan]

My Dad fought in WWII and the Korean conflict.
He was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery on April 14th 1997. Every year on Memorial Day I think of my Dad and miss him even more.
Truly a member of the greatest generation ever.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJO7lJIxG10[/ame]

 

[Onomea]

Memorial Day at Punchbowl:

Memorial Day at Punchbowl - YouTube

 

[ameridaddy]

I accumulated this list from my genealogy research over the past ~35 years.
I've felt the need to tell somebody for some years now, and I thought the fine group of people here would understand.
Men in my family gone for their cause:

Pvt. Thomas P. Carroll; DOD 7 Aug 1857, Carlisle Barracks, PA, US Army

Pvt. Thomas Whittle; KIA Apr 1862, Shiloh, Tennessee, US Army
Pvt. John Benjamin Hersey; d smallpox, 7 Dec 1862, US Army
Pvt. Levi Linton; KIA 9 May 1864, Rocky Face Ridge, Whitfield Co. GA; Co E, 64th Ohio Inf., US Army
Pvt. William Thomas Judkins; KIA 18 Jul 1864 Coosa River, Greenport Al. fighting a Union cavalry raid, CSA
Pvt. Otho Linton; served 1861–1864, KIA 8 Aug 1864, Atlanta Crossroads, GA; Co. E, 52nd Ohio Vol. Inf., US Army
Pvt. Jeremiah Linton, brother of Otho, died in ACW, US Army
Pvt. John S. Hugunin; 22 Aug 1864, Petersburg, Dinwiddie Co. VA, Co. E, Co. A, 81st NY Inf., US Army
Pvt. Alfred Hugunin; died POW 5 Sep 1864, Andersonville, Sumpter Co. GA, US Army
Pvt. Edward Linton; died POW 5 Oct 1864, Andersonville, Sumpter Co. GA, Co. C, 22nd Pa. Cav, US Army
Pvt. David James Hugunin; died 24 Oct 1864 Virginia, US Army
Pvt. Thomas Linton; KIA 5 Feb 1865, Dabney's Mill, Hanover Co. VA, US Army
Pvt. James I Carroll; DOW 20 Jul 1912, Co B 8th Md Inf, US Army, ACW

Pvt. Harry L. Reinisch, III, KIA 8 Mar 1945, near Ossenburg Germany; 137th Inf, 35 Div., US Army

Bugler Howard I. Carroll, my grandfather
117th Trench Mortar Battery, 42nd (Rainbow) Division, AEF, WW1, 1917 – 1919
The 117th fired for every infantry regiment in the Rainbow and for other divisions in their sectors at
(1) Luneville sector, Lorraine, February 21 to March 23, 1918;
(2) Baccarat sector, Lorraine, March 31 to June 21, 1918;
(3) Esperance-Souain sector, Champagne, July 4 to July 15, 1918;
(4) Champagne-Marne defensive, July 15 to 17, 1918;
(5) Aisne-Marne offensive July 25 to August 11, 1918;
(6) St. Mihiel offensive, September 12 to 16, 1918;
(7) Essey and Pannes sector, Woevre, September 17 to 30, 1918;
(8) Meuse-Argonne offensive, October 12 to November 1, 1918;
(9) Meuse-Argonne offensive, November 5 to 10, 1918;
They stood before Sedan with the most advanced units of the AEF, and participated in the Rhine Occupation
Awards: Victory Medal with 5 bars, Occupation Medal, Croix de Guerre
Granddaddy Irvine died after the war from effects of being gassed.


Capt. Donald L. Gambrill, my father’s best friend, best man and my Godfather,
Lead Pilot, B-24, 830th Bomb Squadron, 485th Bomb Group (Heavy), WW2
55 missions over Germany, Yugoslavia, Romania, Austria & Italy
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
KIA 10-Apr-45

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

 

[rwsmith]

Snubby.....

55 Missions?!?!?!

 

[crazyphil]

John Williams

"Hymn to the Fallen" by John Williams - YouTube

This picture and many other cemeteries, here in the US, and
all around the world, clearly illustrate that the price of freedom
is indeed, very high. Thank God for all of our patriots who have
been willing to pay the price.

 

[ameridaddy]

55 Missions?!?!?!

Yup, 55 missions piloting a B-24 over Europe. Dad wrote to Don after 35 missions, said "You've done your job, come home." Don wrote back "I'll be OK. I only fly every fifth mission now. I'm trying to train the new guys. These kids coming over here don't even know how to transfer gas."
On 10 Apr 45, Don was flying the lead bomber on a large raid to bomb German lines just north of Bologna, Italy. His plane, as lead, had an extra navigator on board, and the squadron CO was in the copilot's seat. They encountered "light but accurate" flak on the rally after dropping their bombs. His plane was the only one hit. Shrapnel hit the fuel transfer lines on the forward bulkhead of the bomb bay starting a fire. He held the plane level for two minutes as the fire spread, engulfing the aircraft. Two parachutes were seen, one man was seen trying to get out of the engineer's hatch above and behind the pilot when the plane exploded and fell in two pieces to the ground. The two men who parachuted were POW, the other nine perished.

It was his squadron's next to last mission of the war; Don, who referred to "these kids" in his letter to Dad, died before his 21st birthday.

 

[ameridaddy]

Lest we forget, with freedom comes sacrifice..This Monday, remember those who are no longer with us but paid the ultimate price protecting that very freedom too many take for granted..

Ron, that pic is a heart wrencher.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

"Whether a man falls with 20,000 others in some grand battle or all by himself on a lonely outpost, he is a 100% casualty to himself. What more is there to give ?" Charles Johnson Post, author of "The Little War of Private Post."

 

[eveled]

It's for all vererans who have passed on. They place a flag on every grave at Arlington, not just those who died while serving.