Memorial Day, May 28th, 2018

[John Morris]

Memorial Day

This is not a day of celebration, this is not a day to say "Happy Memorial Day", as we often see the banners streaming across the door way of a big box store, or your car dealers lot, "Happy Memorial Day!". My friends, there is nothing happy about it. This day is not a happy occasion to celebrate. It is a day of solemn remembrance for those who gave their lives under the banner of our nation. I am taken back by the celebratory mood that surrounds one of the most profound annual holidays in our nations docket of patriotic remembrances. 

 

Photo: 16-year-old Deandra Christiansen, whose veteran father, Eric Christiansen, passed away in April 2013 at the age of 45. The teenager was among hundreds of relatives who gathered at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan.

 

Memorial Day, a day of memorializing the men and women who died while in service. This is a serious day, a day that, in a perfect world we should never have to recognize. But the reality is our country has been at the tip of the spear in conflicts around the world since the time of our existence as a nation. And we have lost many Americans.
In today's challenging domestic environment it's even more crucial than ever to give our attention to the service members who have given all to our nation in order to ensure that the citizens of our nation can go about our daily lives, living and enjoying the fruits of labor that our military and the men and women who serve have provided, and continue to provide.

All too often many people in our nation will forget what this day is all about, the youth today are losing sight of what it means to give, to sacrifice, to put the person standing beside them first, instead of putting themselves first. As adults, we need to remind our youth constantly that we live in a very exceptional country, and they should take nothing for granted. We should teach them the importance of our military, and we should remind them that if for one day our military stopped working, that would be the day life as they know it would change in an instant. Our enemies would exploit the weakness, and over run our shores. Our military is a great wall, a barrier between us and the bad actors of the world. Sometimes our military has to take the fight to them, instead of letting them come here to our nation. And our men and women have given their lives on some far off piece of land in order to ensure our safety here at home. We need to drive that message home to our own kids, their friends, and even often times, the adults around us.

 

Photo: Christian Golcyznski accepts his fathers flag, Christian is one youth who will never forget the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Lets enjoy the day off, lets enjoy being in the company of the ones we love, but the whole while, lets not let the feeling of solemness, and remembrance leave our hearts.
We owe those who are no longer with us, that. Just one day is all they are asking. Memorial Day, May 28th 2018.

I pray that God will keep in a very special place those who died in service and long after, for they are the ones who gave of themselves selflessly, and they will be "Forever Young". And we'd like to ask all who read this to pray or offer a word of thanks at your barbecue for our troops both past and present, and set out an empty table setting over an empty chair at your dinner table, in memory, and in hope that our men and women serving today will always return home safe, and whole in mind and body.
Also may God Bless our great and very special nation, and may He protect those in harms way as they serve our country and its people today, and into the future.

 

Posting in this topic

Please post your feelings and memories in this topic, also please post the names and images of loved ones and friends lost during military service. Thank you all for being here, and helping us preserve the memories of those who served.

Links of interest

• Time's Memorial Day History
• Wikipedia Memorial Day
• CNN Memorial Day Fast Facts and Timeline
• History Channels 8 Things You May Not Know About Memorial Day

Featured Video

 

[John Morris]

My Great Uncle Jeriod Merle Tate USMC 1st Sgt

Died of his wounds received during the initial assault on Guam, he was transported back to his ship, where he succumbed 3 days later. May God have a place of eternity for my Uncle Jeroid Merle Tate, and the rest of his Devil Dogs and all the men and women who paid the ultimate price.

Uncle Jeroid, or as my father called him Uncle Jerry, was involved in many of the South Pacific campaigns before his life ended, he fought in the jungles of the South Pacific from island to island, he was war tested. He received his 1st SGT rank during a battle field commission as men fell all around him in an earlier island campaign.

 

We proudly named our son after my Great Uncle, we wanted to name him with a meaningful name.

 

As a side note, his mother did not get the news of his passing for an entire month, news just moved slow back then. The photo below was taken at San Diego's MCRD. The Western Union and the image are both in our possession, as family heirlooms.

 

[Ron Dudelston]

As a vet, I am concerned that the tone of the nation towards Memorial Day is changing.  The original intent of Memorial day was/is to pay honor to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country.  It seems of late that the nation is changing its focus to honoring those who have served.  With all due respect to my fellow comrades in arms, our day is November 11th.  I'm not worthy to hold the sandals of those who gave their lives for this great land.

[John Morris]

1 minute ago, Ron Dudelston said:

With all due respect to my fellow comrades in arms, our day is November 11th.

Quite often the two are conflated Ron, I wholly agree.

[BernieW]

Sgt Edwin Penn my cousin. He was 7 months younger than I was and was like my brother rather than a cousin. I got drafted in 1967 but enlisted instead in the Army Security Agency. He was drafted in 1968 in the 101st ABN. He was in Viet Nam for 29 days when he was killed in a fire fight. So proud of him. He left a wife and a small boy. I found his name on the Wall in DC along with 2 of my high school classmates who were killed over there. I still miss him to this day 50 yrs later.

 

Edited May 27, 2018 by BernieW
Resize Picture.

[Jay]

Today i take a knee in remeberance of several fallen friends. We were all aviation so its a rare thing. I miss them so much.... i dont have a picture for 1.

 

Spc. Zachary Shannon (top)

 

SGT Nemo Tuala

 

SSG Marc Scialdo (bottom)

 

Clear blue and 22 boys. Well rally at hevans gate at and undetermined as of yet time brothers...

 

[Artie]

We’ve been very lucky. I was in the Air Force Reserves, never called up, not a Veteran. My brother was full time Air Force, 1980-84, has Veteran’s status, doesn’t consider himself a Veteran, never left the USA. His son served a year in Iraq, as a Marine, definitely a Veteran. My Dad, never got closer to Korea than Japan, he loved Japan, is considered a Veteran, but my Dad only considered those in the war zones, Veterans. My Uncle (by marriage) Korean War Veteran, don’t know any more than that, we never talked about it. My Grandfather couldn’t enlist during WWII because he’d had 3 kids (they were only accepting fathers of 2 or less at the time). He quit his job, and went up to Alaska, and spent a year helping to build the Al-Can highway. My Wife’s Dad, two tours of Vietnam Nam, as a medic, definitely a Veteran. He died 20 years before I even met my wife. My Wife’s Grandfather was in the army, in the mountains of Italy, during WWII. Definitely a Veteran. How much action he saw, I do not know. I do know from my history the action up there was like Iwo Jima, with snow. My Grandmother’s brother, Uncle Eddie was at Guadalcanal. I only met him once that I remember. Definitely a Veteran. Since my Dad passed, April 22, 2003, we have gone to the cemetery for their Memorial Day Service, every year. I know of no words or actions that can take away the pain of losing a family member or friend, but I offer my prayers. It is a holy day in our family, as is Veterans’ Day. Most people try to tell me that because I served I’m a Veteran, no I’m not. I offered my services to my country for 4 years, they were not needed. I’m very comfortable with that. I take great pride in having an Honorable Dischage. Call me a patriot and I will willingly plead guilty to that. I thank everyone who has served, and those who took care of the families while anxiously awaiting the return of their loved ones. (A very difficult type of service).

[Joeb41]

I had four uncles that saw heavy action in WWII and were all lucky to come home alive. I was born when they were away at war and in their letters to my mom they all mentioned that they wanted to get this war over and come home to see me. They were a great influence on me teaching me how to hunt and fish, how to build things and repair cars. They are all gone now but I will never forget what they did for me and our country. God bless you all, Wally ,Pete, John and Bill.

[hatuffej]

I celebrate Memorial Day the same as the other remembrance days, honoring those who have served and died and those still alive. My Dad served 4 years in the Navy on Guam as supply clerk and was overseas when I was born. He died in 1970. My Mom worked in aircraft repair at a local air force base, and told me stories of food rationing, and the fear of far away battles. She died in 2004. My brother served as a clerk at an army base in Germany. I served in the 7th Infantry division stationed at Camp Casey, South Korea.  My wife's Mom assembled artillery shells in Ontario, Canada. She died in 21012. All of my uncles served in WWI or Korea and are all dead. I have a cousin who served as Navy seal during Johnson's secret raids into North VN, and is quiet about it all. All of my family is tied to the military over the years. We know the freedom and peace we have today is because of their combined efforts, and we are mindful of their sacrifices. Civilians don't get the credit they deserve for their contributions but we include them because they help a lot. I sincerely hope my grand-kids never have to face the horrors of war but they understand what we have done, and they are thankful. 

hat

Edited May 28, 2018 by hatuffej
Omission of self.