Memorial Day

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I think of it as a second Thanksgiving. My appreciation goes out to all who have served, living or not. These folks have given their country the ultimate gift - themselves.
 
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
I think of it as a second Thanksgiving. My appreciation goes out to all who have served, living or not. These folks have given their country the ultimate gift - themselves.


Very true and being a former service member I am very proud and glad I did
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Thanks to all those who served or are serving. And a special thanks to my son on the USS Carl Vinson CVN70, we can't wait to see you!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Respectfully, Memorial Day is about honoring those who died in active military service.



Absolutely agree. The blurring diminishes the somberness of the national holiday.
 
Let us remember those who passed away while in service to our nation whether it be on the battle field or out in civilian life. It is also important to remember those who sacrificed their minds, their souls, and their bodies yet they still continue to live on. People with broken and shattered bodies, and minds that deal with the aftermath of war everyday, all day, until they are finally called "home". The loss of extremities is quite common today as result of booby traps, roadside bombs, and regular gunfire. The neuropathic pain from a limb no longer there is quite severe at times. The people who suffered severe neurological damage from roadside bombs are all too common as well. The mental and psychological suffering of those who have witnessed man's unspeakable depths of evil will always haunt them until they are called "home". The "survivor's" guilt of those who come home yet their buddy who just feet away is gone... Let us remember them. This is very hard for them to deal with, understand, and ever feel good about just living. Because.... Their friend is gone. And yet they are still here.
To me Memorial Day is about remembering all of those who served. Whether they be those who passed away on there battlefield or those who live with permanent damage as a result of serving this nation of ours. Let us remember that pure evil still exists in this world. Those who do not see others as people at all. Thus justifying the killing of those people. This foul stench of depravity has a familiar smell to those who witnessed the concentration camps of WW two. This growing evil will continue to fester if left unchecked. The Waffen SS mentality is alive and well today... Only if good men and women stand up will this foulest, most deprave, and most sadistic way of thinking be put down. It will likely be the current generation and possibly the next generations fight to "save" this world. Let all of us who believe in the sanctity of all life, the belief in true religious freedom, true rights of women, let us stand up against this Neanderthal, barbarism, and evil that is growing. Let us be of account... Like our great grandfather's, our grandfather's and grandmother's before us. Evil and darkness grows strongest when there is no counter to it. Today let us be the one's to counter it, let us remember those who fought it before us, let us remember those who suffered greatly fighting it before us and let us remember those who suffer today who have already faced this evil.
 
And don't forget those who war messed up both mentally and physically. The physical issues may be with these solders for life and many with mental issues have taken their lives.

Taking an 18yr old and turning him into a killing machine and then back into a normal civilian may be too much to expect.
 
Saint Boniface/Elgin Nebraska Cemetery, Memorial Day 2017. Big crowd as usual in this town of 800 people. 66F and strong breeze out of northwest. Always forget a jacket and freeze my *** off. You would think I would learn after all these years. Several members of the honor guard still able to wear their old Army uniforms after many decades. Ones a major and one a sargent. Same ceremony but always a different message and oh so Midwest. All the small towns coming up from Columbus have flags out along their main drag. Afterward, the parish puts on a free dinner and everyone is invited. Catholics sit down with Protestants and non believers and the talk is mostly about, what else, spring planting and the prospects of a good but not record harvest. The ladies of the parish have worked all week making the salads and desserts, and this year, the local truck stop furnished the broasted chicken. Very good meal and seconds for anyone. Grab a hand full of homemade cookies and they are gone before the sixty five miles home. In late June, we will attend the last reunion of Saint Boniface High School and all parishioners are invited (If you have $16.00) My wife will be the only 52 grad in attendance and that will end an era when life was much simpler and in many ways better. Life is different in rural small town Nebraska. It was a good way of life, still is for those still involved with agriculture. Time marches on in only one direction.
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Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
A day for remembrance of those who did not return. The weather outside, dreary, rainy, somber, fitting. A day for reflection.


Unfortunately the majority of folks do nothing more than spare a passing thought.

We spent the weekend remodeling a bathroom and kitchen for the local widow and kids of a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan. A dozen of us supplied the labor, a local hardware store supplied some of the supplies and fixtures. What they didn't supply we purchased.
 
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