Memorial Day 2012

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I will take this weekend to honor those who made the greatest sacrifice to preserve our freedom and liberty.
Thank you to all who serve, all who have served, and their families.
 
Being a little older than most on here, I bring to mind all of those that I have know personally who served beginning with my 4 brothers 3 who fought (2 Army in the Pacific, 1 Navy in the Atlantic) in WW II and one who fought in Korea (8th Army both up and down the peninsula in 1950). Several peiople I worked with over the years served Viet Nam also my Nephew who had three tours there. My brother-in-law served 24 years in the Navy and Air Force. Another brother-in-law fought in Europe during WW II. A Classmate who Piloted a tanker that refuled B52's for 10 years.
The hundreds that I served with in my 39 months on the USS Kenneth D Bailey - we never saw "action" but we were there when Marines landed in Lebanon, when the Russians put down the Hungarian Uprising, when the Brits, French and Israelis took over the Suez Canal, when the Russians launched Sputnik and everytime someone sighted a periscope in the Atlantic.

These were friends, relatives and shipmates all of whom earned my admiration and gratitude by answering when their country --- my country --- called.
 
We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows in fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

From "We Shall Keep the Faith" by Moina Michael, November 1918
 
Chuck Key said:
We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows in fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

From "We Shall Keep the Faith" by Moina Michael, November 1918
Click to expand...
I remember that well...in elementary school someone used to recite that and the Poem that inspired it each Memorial Day at the American Legion service. We also had someone recite Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and they fired a Salute to all who had died in service of the country and played TAPS on a bugle (when available) or trumpet when there was no bugle.

The poem you cited was inspired by
"In Flanders Fields" by Lt. Col. John McCrae

In Flanders Fields the Poppies blow
between the crosses row on row.
That mark our place. And in the sky
The lark still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago we lived
felt dawn. Watched 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 it yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die we
shall not sleep, though poppies blow
In Flanders Field.

And to my North of the border friends - Yes I do know he was a Canadian. He was serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Belgium at the time he wrote the poem I think it was in 1915 before the US had entered the war..
 
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As i stated on another site with Smitty, my wife and i met in Anchorage Alaska in 1980 in the Air Force in church, Married in Feburary 81,loved every minute of it,we got 2 kids a girl and son, my son just made rank yesterday,he has been in 8 years in the navy,got 4 Kids a wife and her mom lives with them, he will reinlist next month, Nothing makes a father happer than a son calling and crying and saying he just made rank, and will stay in and follow our steps, MADE ME BUST OUT IN TEARS, WE LOVE YOU SON,AND ALL THE OTHERS SERVING AND HAVE SERVED MAY GOD PROTECT ALL OUR LOVED ONES AWAY AND DEPLOYED and those who have served before so we can have our lives and hobbies
carpblaster
 
Just a thought....

MEMORIAL DAY.jpg
 
Today my thoughts are with the friends left behind in DS1 & 2...the friends still living with it and those still in country. My son is a Marine at Ft Lee Va...a good Marine and becoming a man. Gods richest bleesing to those brothers and sisters still serving. To the rest of us still wanting to go back...Stand down...At ease. God bless us all.
Lt Cmdr Burr (ret) channel clear.
 
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