Memorial day weekend........

[Bruce]

Has become commercialized just like any other holiday. Auto dealers, appliance makers, box stores looking to sell merchandised discounted for the weekend to entice shoppers in.
Another long weekend to cook out and get wasted with a 4 day work week coming up.

For my family, Memorial Day and the long weekend that goes with it is a time for reflection for those who did not come home alive from war or died as a result of injuries suffered. War death doesn't discriminate. It knows no race, religon, political ideology, just death. Sometimes a gruesome horrible death.

Whether soldiers volunteer or were drafted, they fought and died for sometimes stupid reasons.
I wonder just how much influence that these brave soldiers could have had on our society had they lived, or their children or grand children.

When your breaking bread this weekend take a minute of silence to remember those who never came home for you and me.

God bless them all.

[Charlie J]

well said bruce, to many people forget
what memorial day stands for.
god bless those that served
and those that paid the ultimate sacrifice.
may we never forget

[Carl]

Amen.

[IRGuy]

Well said Bruce, and thank you for it.

The generation of WW II survivors has all but gone away. We have precious few men and women left who fought in an outright war.. but after many years of "peace" we are again at war against an undeclared non-uniformed assembly of religious zealots who are just as deadly as a uniformed enemy, and we have thousands of our young men and women in the military who now are in the 18-30 year old group, who have seen the realities of war. I often wonder what effect they will have on our government when they begin to assimilate into our political mainstream and get themselves elected and become tomorrow's leaders.

I feel it should be a requirement that anyone who seeks office as a senator, representative or president should have at least 4 years of active duty military service.

I offer a humble "thank you" to all who served.

[PeterPalmieri]

Well said Bruce! Did my best to explain it to carter in a way an almost 4 year old will understand.

[Al]

Well said indeed. God bless all who've served. We could use a real commander in chief now.

[Harry Babb]

Truth in it purest form

Nothing can be added......

Thanks


hb

[Bertramp]

God Bless and protect all that serve and have served ...

[Rawleigh]

This weekend I watched the movie "Taking Chance" about escorting a KIA Marine Chance Phelps home. It stars Kevin Bacon, was well done and is worth watching.

[TailhookTom]

Sunday evening, as it has become a family tradition, we watched PBS Memorial Day Concert. There was a touching tribute to the Granville family - two brothers enlisted together and served many tours in middle east, one was terribly injured including loss of a leg. Tragically, his older brother jumped from a bridge Christmas eve, a Marine with PTSD who had too much guilt that he wasn't there to protect his younger brother. It was noted after that 22 vets commit suicide EVERY day -- something needs to be done to get them help and the hell with the family of 12 with 5 baby's daddy who sit home on welfare driving their Esclade and watching their 70" plasma on our tax dollars. They also raised tribute to actor Charles Durning who passed in February and was one of the creators of the Memorial Day concert -- I never knew this -- he was on the beach in Normandy (Omaha Beach), after recovering from serious injuries, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge--won the Silver Star, Bronze Star and 3 Purple Hearts -- that man was a BADASS!

BTW, if my comments offended anyone, they can kiss my patriotic ass!

Tom

http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/f ... -wars.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Pete Fallon]

Faithful,
Memorial Day brings back memories of my father, he enlisted at 29 in January of 42, didn't have to go because he had a war time exemption, as forman in a GE steel plant. They made him a corporal in 1 month because he could read a compass and a map. E-5 in 3 months, 1 year into war training troops in Texas as E-6. June 11,1944 in France, shrapnel wound in July 1st Purple Heart, back in action August, refused battle field commission in Sept, wounded again in September in Belguim 2nd Purple Heart, back in action October, wounded again by shrapnel in November, 3rd Purple Heart, 1st Bronze Star, Battle of the Bulge December 1944, missing in action shot in his shoulder. 4th Purple Heart, refused another battle field commission promoted to E8, Germany 1945 wounded by shrapnel in his back, 5th Purple Heart and 2nd Bronze Star. Met Russians 10 miles outside of Berlin. War over in May promoted to E9 spent next 6 months cris- crossing Germany with OSS almost captured by the Russians in Chekoslavika, Refused another commission and came home as Sgt Major. Shrapnel wounds kept him hurting until he died but never went to the VA for any help. He ate chickens from where ever they found them in France, Belguim, Holland and Germany, never ate another chicken after the war. Died at 89 with shrapnel still in his back Never forget the greatest generation.

[TailhookTom]

Pete:

Thanks for sharing such wonderful memories of a true hero and patriot.

Tom

[Navatech]

Freedom ain't free... The fact that Memorial Day is considered a holiday (just like New Year etc) is IMHO the root of the evil... When Memorial Day is considered just another day without work, to be spend shopping, BBQ'ing and so forth I'm not at all surprised that some people don't even know what this day stands for...

[Pete Fallon]

Faithful,
Anything for the retail giants to make a buck. The bean counters at Walmart and Best Buy have no clue about what really happened to the men who served from 1941 to 1945.
Memorial Day was special day for my dad, he would take me flounder fishing and talk a little about what had happened during the war. He never really opened up until he was in his mid 80's, I found out about a book he wrote on his lunch hour at Raytheon almost everyday over a 28 year stint with the company. The book was never published but he registered it with the library of Congress. It' is called The SQUAD, I am going to self publish it in the near future, just got to get all the pictures into a computer file. He actually took his own photos, with a confiscated German Lecia camera and film he scavenged from the intelligence section of his division. He lost 3 of his squad and almost was killed himself when they came around a corner in a Jeep and were fired upon by a German tank.
Pete Fallon.