Memorial Day

[SARGE]

I hope all you folks enjoy your holiday week-end. This time of year kicks off the start of another long, hot summer for most (especially those in the south). Folks recognize the day off with various activities - so many do the traditional thing of cookouts, laking, sipping suds, hanging out, or simply taking it easy while preparing the lawn for the summer. Those are good things.

While doing those things, or maybe doing nothing at all, find a moment or two to reflect on the purpose of the recognized holiday. There are so many folks nowadays who have no memorable ties to one who may have died while in service to his/her country, and the schools may not teach to the subject of Memorial Day much anymore.

For myself, it's always a tough time but particular memories aren't just relegated to that day, just more intensified. I always remember my lost buds and wish I could visit all of them. The two I went to high school with dropped out to join the Marines and were KIA in the latter part of '67. I graduated and followed their lead. Both are buried close by so another visit, another year gone by. I remember when I got back from over there and visited their parents. They were still so heart-broken and remained so until their own deaths years later.

Take a moment, fellers.

[Kubie]

Amen Sarge, Amen!

Carl

[skeeter]

It is a day for reflecting. We must all remember that the cost of freedom is never and has never been free. There are many Americans who have paid the ultimate price so that we might have freedom.

[Tiretool]

Sarge, I'm glad we've got you around here. Your heart felt words never cease to amaze me. You're an all around good fella!

Remember the reason folks. POW/MIA... You are not forgotten.

[Psychodic_Greak]

Last year, I went to a cook out on Memorial Day, and i was happy. I didn't actually understand to what Memorial Day actually is... until this year. Turn on the news every now and then. There's always a report about a fallen soldier. I don't know these people, but yet there out there battling guys like Osama Bin laden, Saddam Hussein, and the al quaida members. There keeping them bad guys away from our beloved country... but yet, we really dont know them personally.

So this weekend isn't more about the 3 days off, its all about the men and women on the united states army who are out in that war fighting for the freedom of our country day in and day out. They are missing special moments from there kids like there first words, there first day of school, thats what there missing out on, but yet, they still come and fight for this country..

This memorial day, everyone should realize that ithe war is never over...theres still danger out there. Terrorists, child predators, thiefs... theres always something bad out there that cant always be brought to justice, so this weekend, I praise the men and women of the US Army and everyone who has contributed to the fallen PoWs.

[TimPoet]

God bless America and God bless our fallen defenders, heros all.

[Alaron]

My scout troop goes to the local Veterans Cemetary along with all boy scout, cub scout, girl scout troops in the Dayton Ohio area every Memorial day. We put flags on over 35,000 graves. It is a truly awesome sight, to see rows and rows of headstones with flags. God Bless America, and all those who have fought for it.

[seanc1930]

God Bless America and God Bless you sarge for your eloquent (sp?) Words

My heartfelt thanks go out to you Sarge, and to anyone who has ever served to defend the rights of our great nation

[padawan]

Good stuff, Sarge. Thanks...

[Panama Red]

Hey Sarge, Howdy from someone else that was "over there". Quick story for ya. Last weekend the wife and I went from Mich to Iowa to help my daughter haul her stuff home from college. We stopped for lunch in Peru, Il and while eating, 5 guys and a gal came in all wearing cycle colors. Long hair and beards were prevalent. The name on the back of their black t-shirts was "Vietnam Veterans MC". I finished my food and walked over to their table. The two guys facing us looked too young to have been there, but the 3 with their backs to us looked same age bracket as me. I walked around to face the 3 older guys and said quietly, "two questions, when were you there and where?" They looked kinda stunned, then one by one they acknowledged with an answer. When it was my turn to answer the same for them, I said, "68-70, Army, DaNang and every river north hauling supplies." One guy who had been a truck driver out of Cam Rahn, 70-71, looked me in the eye and said "Welcome home, man". That isn't said often enough to Nam vets. So to you, too, Sarge, I say on this Memorial Day, "WELCOME HOME" and thanx for your service!

[M. A. Dockter]

I think and will probably always think that the Vietnam era was the worst era in American History to date.

There was no real cause for Americans to be over there; we had no interest in Vietnam other than stopping communism. I guess hindsight is 20/20 but there was no real point…we lost anyway. Mainly we lost because we fought a war with hands tied behind our backs. It was the first time in history that we fought a limited war, fresh of the fear of nuclear war and retribution if we took it too far.

Many of the men that served in Vietnam were treated ill. Some were drafted, others volunteered to prove themselves and their generation after the generations that saved democracy in World War II, lived through worst economic time in our nations history (Great Depression), and saved Europe in World War I. If they were drafted or put themselves in the line of fire the fact still remains that they served for every single person that did not. To think they were looked upon as murders and baby killers for following orders and trying themselves to survive is a disgrace.

Those that slug the slings and arrows upon those men’s return from Vietnam did not understand the prices those that came before them had to pay to give them the freedoms and rights they wantonly held. The US had previously dug out of the worst economic depression in history to free half of the world from military dictator ship and fascism. Previous to that we came out of out isolationist ways to defend those in Europe from colonial bullying. Before that we made it clear to the rest of the world that we would not be bullied by any other colonial power (specifically Spain). Previous to that we fought amongst ourselves and still managed to survive as a strong and powerful nation. Previous to that we had to fight for our own collective rights to exist as an independent nation; suffering invasion and destruction in our own homes in Baltimore, Washington, and most Eastern Coast Cities. Before that, we played cat and mouse with human lives just long enough to grant a verity of different people freedom from the coasts of Maine and Georgia. In all of that fighting millions of people lost their lives…yet some 30 years ago had the gaul to all thousands of brave men murders for following in the same lines.

If I could apologize for all of those people I would. If I were there to witness it I would more than likely sunk to levels as low as those I vilify to repay for the slings and arrows they were throwing. The United States is a nation of internal division and compromise. Many times we have survived two differing viewpoints and only once have we had to resolve that difference with war yet even then we were able to rebuild and become better. Yet no time in our history has is occurred where a hero to this nation and a hero to everyone that lives here has been treated like a criminal.

Hopefully we have learned and my children and my decedents will never bear witness to such a thing. Hopefully sacrifice for others shall be repaid with due respect and honor is deserved. Hopefully it will never happen again.

Most civilisations have their one great Hero. Arthur, Joan, Sallidan, Peter. The United States of America has so many a list of names would virtually be endless.