Memorial Day

In rememberence of my grandfather Robert C Smith, WWII Private US Army. Below is the map of Willamette National Cemetery and his final resting spot. Section N Site 529



p.s. Memorial Day is for those who are no longer with us, not for those who are serving or are still alive. (That is what Veterans Day/Armed Forces Day is for...)

And in rememberance of my Father who served aboard the USS Takinis Bay (CVE 89) during the last years of WW-II. He was a member of the commissioning crew, a "Plank Owner", and participated in "Operation Magic Carpet" which brought 1,300 troops home to the US at the end of hostilities.



He passed away in 1962 but has never been forgotten.

"Happy" Memorial Day?

Happy?

There is what has turned into an annual rant I go into when anybody wishes me a "Happy" Memorial Day. It involves a lot of questions about just what they intend for me to be happy about, as opposed to those things I am eternally grateful for because of the supreme sacrifices made by those we are supposed to be honoring during the Memorial Day holiday.

I am not happy about the white sales, the car sales, the mattress sales, the home & garden sales, or any other commercialization of the day. I am not happy about all the new movies holding their openings over the weekend set aside to remember those who gave their lives so we could go shopping and sit in air conditioned comfort being entertained by Hollywood sycophants who completely disagree with the values and morals of those in whose honor we are supposed to be taking time off from our jobs and other activities.

"Happy" Memorial Day? No, not on my watch. On this one day I will accept the offering of someone wishing me a "Blessed" Memorial Day, for I know I am truly blessed by the sacrifices made on my behalf by those who I will never know but who I hold in the highest honor.

Thank you for reading my rant. I hope you understand why I rant.

stay safe.

"Thank You" to those who have served Past, Present and those who are considering to serve in the Future.

We enjoy our Freedom today because of the sacrifices of many thousands who gave their all. My Grandfather served in the Navy, my uncle in the Coast Guard. I presently am finishing up my tour in the Coast Guard. I hope my son will consider a tour in the military after he finishes College.

Chap

In Remembrance of
my Dad WWII (2nd ID Engineer, landed at Omaha beach)
my Uncle Sam (WWII tanker)
my other uncles (WWII & Korea & Vietnam)
my cousins (Vietnam)
my friend Paul Smith (and later Medal of Honor recipient)

Thank you

Some of my warrior ancestors that I honor this weekend.

Because of them and and all the others like them we have what we have today. Every man and woman that ever served has my deepest respect and gratitude, not just this weekend but everyday.

Koenig Hayes Uncle USMC Chosin Reservoir, North Korea
Nathan Moore Grandfather 2nd Division US Army Belleau Wood, Argon Forest WWI
Samuel X McClellan GGG Grandfather SGT 206th Regiment PA infantry 1861-1865
Silas Morgan GGG Grandfather, Army of the North Civil War
Merriman Hupp GGGG Grandfather 20th Regiment Ohio Infantry Civil War
Capt James Archer, GGGGG Grandfather, Continental Army, Frontier Rangers 1776-1794
Phillip Hupp GGGGG Grandfather Continental Army & USMC , Germantown, Brandywine, Valley Forge, USS Rattletrap, Rodgers Rangers
James Morgan Virginia Troops Continental Army
David Morgan French & Indian war, Fort Necessity 1757, Ft Duquesne 1755, Continental Army 1777

Remember David Allen Lydic of Jonestown,Pa. We went through training together in the Army.When we got to Vietnam we were assigned to the 1st Cav Air Mobile.David was killed May 10th,1972.He was 19 and my friend.I have carried his memory for 40 years as I got to live lifes blessings he missed.Such are the men and women who sacrificed for us since the beginning of this republic.

Also my father Sfc.James H Beal Served in Korea and was killed when I was 2.I still wear his ID bracelet to this day.

These are just 2 of my memories of Memorial day,people close to me personally.Many of us have known men and women that sacrificed everything to defend this America and the principles by which it was founded. To the extent even of trying to give others a taste of that freedom we have known all these generations now. I couldn't be prouder of the young men and women of the generation after me that have stepped into harms way once again to insure that America goes on.

So put out your stars and stripes people and be proud to fly it, for those who gave up all that we could still live this miracle called America and I can play with my grandson.[/B][/B]

From a letter Lt. Roark sent his wife. “I don’t want my sons to fight a war I should have fought. I wish more Americans felt that way. I will not live in a totalitarian society and I don’t want you to, either. I believe in God and will resist any force that attempts to remove God from society, no matter what the name. This is what the Founding Fathers stood for.”
http://a4skyhawk.org/3e/va153/roark.htm

Grapeshot said:

LT William Marshall Roark
Friend and HS classmate
US Naval Academy- 1960
Gave his last full measure April 7, 1965
​

From a letter Lt. Roark sent his wife. “I don’t want my sons to fight a war I should have fought. I wish more Americans felt that way. I will not live in a totalitarian society and I don’t want you to, either. I believe in God and will resist any force that attempts to remove God from society, no matter what the name. This is what the Founding Fathers stood for.”
http://a4skyhawk.org/3e/va153/roark.htm

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Amen

gogodawgs said:

Memorial Day is for those who are no longer with us, not for those who are serving or are still alive. (That is what Veterans Day/Armed Forces Day is for...)

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Excellent point, and a fact I noticed during this evening's news broadcast that none of our national media gets.

Are there any others here who have a difficult time getting through the Memorial day weekend? I never used to. However, after my third tour in the Middle East, in 2006, watching Memorial Day programs on TV ceased being something I could get through without tears and changing the channel.

Attending a parade or ceremony at the local cemetery? No way.

It is a very private thing, deep within the psyche. Things that cannot be adequately described - never fully shared. We try to remember the good - that is the easiest thing to recall for the human mind. Then other things encroach and defenses kick in.

We are forever changed by those with whom we share certain privileged, personal space......and we are the better for it.

skidmark said:

"Happy" Memorial Day?

Happy?

There is what has turned into an annual rant I go into when anybody wishes me a "Happy" Memorial Day. It involves a lot of questions about just what they intend for me to be happy about, as opposed to those things I am eternally grateful for because of the supreme sacrifices made by those we are supposed to be honoring during the Memorial Day holiday.

I am not happy about the white sales, the car sales, the mattress sales, the home & garden sales, or any other commercialization of the day. I am not happy about all the new movies holding their openings over the weekend set aside to remember those who gave their lives so we could go shopping and sit in air conditioned comfort being entertained by Hollywood sycophants who completely disagree with the values and morals of those in whose honor we are supposed to be taking time off from our jobs and other activities.

"Happy" Memorial Day? No, not on my watch. On this one day I will accept the offering of someone wishing me a "Blessed" Memorial Day, for I know I am truly blessed by the sacrifices made on my behalf by those who I will never know but who I hold in the highest honor.

Thank you for reading my rant. I hope you understand why I rant.

stay safe.

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Your rant is well founded. It's not just a long weekend.

I won't go into the intimate history, but ever man in my lineage has served during the war of his generation. I could not break that precident.

since9 said:

Are there any others here who have a difficult time getting through the Memorial day weekend? I never used to. However, after my third tour in the Middle East, in 2006, watching Memorial Day programs on TV ceased being something I could get through without tears and changing the channel.

Attending a parade or ceremony at the local cemetery? No way.

Click to expand...

At one time in my life when I did not personally know anyone who had died in service I was a big supporter of Memorial Day events, even volunteering to participate in parades (folks who know me know how much I hate exercise of any kind). After I had experienced the deaths in service of folks I knew and who were in one way or another close to me I limited my activities to those that I could do "behind the scenes" such as putting flags and flowers on the graves.

After 9/11 (and here I'm ranting again) when merely being in military or police/fire service made one a "hero" and the practice of thanking both veterans and active duty folks for serving became a part of Memorial Day's "official agenda" I stopped volunteering for a lot of things related to the observance of the day. I make personal pilgrimages to see that needful things are done to observe the day because I do not want my feelings about how the meaning has been corrupted to get in the way. I know most folks mean well, even if they have not thought very much about how they are deminishing the meaning of this holiday by "including" veterans, active duty servicemen, and those others such as the folks who died on or because of the 9/11 attacks.

I think that you, too, may be reacting to these things. Memorial Day is the holiday when we honor those who stepped up (yes, even those who were drafted) and ended up paying the ultimate price to ensure that the rest of us continue to have a country where we can honor and celebrate their sacrifice so that we may enjoy the freedom to have BBQs and sales.

stay safe.