This Weekend is brought to you by….
If holidays had sponsors, this one would be brought to you by “The Tree of Liberty“. At different times over the next three days the entertainment would momentarily stop and an ad would run. They would say, “This very special weekend is brought to you by the blood of patriots past, remember us” or “The Tree of Liberty must be watered from time to time.”
Thankfully we have not reached the point where we have pop up ads in the sky or scrolling ads on the BBQ pit. We just have reminders here and there. We will see flags and some ceremony and a few Gold Stars.
It is the Gold Stars that choke me up. We all remember wanting to earn a gold star as kids. It might have been in Sunday school or in elementary school but we all wanted our parents to be proud that we had achieved that honor.
When your kid enters military service, the Gold Star takes on a whole different meaning. I see families with Gold Stars and I am reminded that they have watered the Tree of Liberty.
I have things to do, places to go and people to see this weekend. There will be fun involved, but there will also be time for reflection and remembrance. Have fun and be safe.
This weekend is brought to you by the blood of patriots past;
Earl H Wilson died while serving his nation, May 1945 Attu Alaska, My Uncle
David Wayne Cornell died while serving his nation January 31, 1988, My Shipmate
We remember.
Category: We Remember
The first in memory!
We can never repay their sacrifice. Rest in peace.
God Bless.
@ ENIGMA 4 YOU, Et Alii:
Thank you for posting this.
I sent an e-mail last night to folks in my address book to remind everyone that we do NOT “celebrate” Memorial Day, but that it is a holy day and a military occasion to be solemnly observed.
Basically, I pointed out that Memorial Day is not the same thing as Veterans Day, which is appropriate to celebrate.
As for myself, I’m a rather hard core traditionalist, and therefore, I refuse to acknowledge the mandated Monday federal holiday, because for me, Memorial Day will always be observed when it’s supposed to be observed, i.e., on the Thirtieth of May.
Again, thank you for posting that message.
The following is the e-mail that I sent out last night: ___________________________ Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: I heard a rather offensive (to me) commercial on the radio. I don’t remember what they were selling or promoting, but they encouraged the public to CELEBRATE Memorial Day! Monday 25 May 2015 will be the officially declared Memorial Day, which I also regard as grossly offensive and insulting. Personally, I only observe the TRADITIONAL Memorial Day, Saturday 30 May 2015, which is also my sister, Suzy’s birthday. If you’re interested in learning MUCH more detailed information about our national Memorial Day, then please click on this conventional computer Internet URL: http://www.usmemorialday.org/ Memorial Day is a holy day to be solemnly observed, not celebrated. Veterans Day, Wednesday 11 November 2015, is a holy day when celebrations are appropriate and encouraged. Memorial Day is meant to honor those who served in our Armed Forces, and are deceased. Veterans Day is for recognizing our living military veterans. By tradition, parades and/or memorial services on Veterans Day should begin at EXACTLY the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month, for that was when the Armistice formally took effect, concluding the Great War, later to be known as the First World War. The parades, concerts, fireworks, feasts, games, contests, assorted pageantry, et cetera, with which Veterans Day is happily celebrated, are inappropriate on Memorial Day. Also, Memorial Day is a military occasion, intended to pay homage to deceased military veterans ONLY! There are three hundred and sixty-four (364) other days for decorating Grammaw’s grave. Memorial Day has its roots in the Confederate States of America, where General John Alexander Logan, a Union officer from Illinois, observed Southern widows pulling weeds from and putting flowers on the graves of their Confederate dead. Since it is a patriotic military event, Memorial Day is a proper occasion for military veterans to wear their full-sized medals on their best Sunday-go-to-meetin’ suit, as authorized by Army Regulation 670-1:30-6. Thank you. John Robert Mallernee, Esquire Ashley Valley Shadows Vernal,… Read more »
My next door neighbor died during Operation Masher on February 18th, 1966 he was a few years older than us. I knew him from being friends with his younger sister he was a great kid who answered the call and did his duty.
He and another boy from CT along with 28 others died that day including two women for a total of thirty KIA.
From 24Jan66 to 6MAR66, the Operation Masher time period, 228 Americans were killed, 834 wounded and 46 were killed in an aircraft accident. Pretty expensive operational costs for an 8 week mission in Binh Dinh that accomplished not much strategic success.
Thank you Pinto Nag, played that and raised my flag. Thank you warriors all.
Thank you dear Pinto Nag. Must be very dusty in here today. There were so many things there which touched me. The snow falling which reminded me of my father, who served through the winter in the Battle of the Bulge. The place, the most solemn of places in our nation and the quiet echo off the grave stones of this, simple yet unforgettable tribute.
And for our cousins across the pond, north of our border, and other Commonwealth nations:
The Last Post
I found this about 5 yrs ago & have used it many times since.
“Let us honor them by ensuring our future, was worth all their tomorrows.”
In memory of Lance Corporal Gavin Brummond, 1988-2010, USMC, KIA Afghanistan.
Peace to OUR Hero’s and peace to all my Brothers and Sister in Arm
Thank you all for understanding and recognizing the true intent and meaning of the day.
I am choosing to celebrate Memorial Day this year in recognition that we have what we do because of the sacrifice of so many. I’m not one of those who demand a day of nothing but solemn and somber remembrance. Pause, at least, and reflect and understand why we have the freedom to celebrate, and then celebrate what they gave their lives for in whatever way you choose. Go ahead, you have that right. They guaranteed it for you.