A big thank you to all the Cafe Veterans and Service members. :clapping:
Memorial Day
- Thread starter John B.
- Start date
John,
That's what Veteran's Day is for. Armed Forces Day (May 19th) is for those who are currently serving. Memorial Day is to remember all those who sacrificed their lives in the service of our country. There seems to be a trend to combine them.
Many seek that recognition. Others of us just did our duty and moved on with our lives.
Thank you for your service.
John,Thank you for your wonderful advice you've shard with the Cafe,keep up the good work.
J.J.
J.J.Mike Bissell
Elite Cafe Member
John although it is true what DKanger wrote, Your heart is and has always been in the right place. I'm proud to say you are on my "A" list of friends.
Crazy Horse
Elite Cafe Member
It's unfortunate that in this day and age we consider "Memorial Day" as a "Holiday". In my mind Memorial Day is not a "Holiday" but rather a day of solemn remembrance.
For me in particular it will be a time of remembering those young faces, dirty with the grime, and putrid smell of war, that I once had the honor to serve with. Young men who never came home to enjoy life as the rest of us have, who because of time will soon be forgotten.
I can vividly recall that when I was very young, the veterans from my neighborhood would don their American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars uniforms, displaying their combat ribbons and badges and march in parades around the neighborhood, trumpets blaring, drums beating and flags waving. Proud men who served in WWII.
The Parade finalized at the local graveyard where many small American Flags marked the graves of their fellow neighbors who never returned from the battlefields of Europe, the Pacific, and the oceans. We as kids would scramble to pickup the spent blank cartridges after the gun salute. People would get dressed up for the day.
Memorial Day was always held on 30-MAY, no matter what day it fell upon. It was a National Holiday and everyone was off from school and also work. Sure there were barbecues and what some might refer to as parties after the parades, but it really was a day of remembrance and thanks for the sacrifices of our fallen compatriots who insured that we would continue to enjoy the freedoms that we take for granted each and every day. Hell of a price to pay for a "holiday!"
Most of that is lost today. Today we refer to Memorial Day as a holiday weekend. It's really turned into a time of commercialism. We've lost the true meaning of the day considering the cost paid for such a "holiday."
"Garry Owen"
For me in particular it will be a time of remembering those young faces, dirty with the grime, and putrid smell of war, that I once had the honor to serve with. Young men who never came home to enjoy life as the rest of us have, who because of time will soon be forgotten.
I can vividly recall that when I was very young, the veterans from my neighborhood would don their American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars uniforms, displaying their combat ribbons and badges and march in parades around the neighborhood, trumpets blaring, drums beating and flags waving. Proud men who served in WWII.
The Parade finalized at the local graveyard where many small American Flags marked the graves of their fellow neighbors who never returned from the battlefields of Europe, the Pacific, and the oceans. We as kids would scramble to pickup the spent blank cartridges after the gun salute. People would get dressed up for the day.
Memorial Day was always held on 30-MAY, no matter what day it fell upon. It was a National Holiday and everyone was off from school and also work. Sure there were barbecues and what some might refer to as parties after the parades, but it really was a day of remembrance and thanks for the sacrifices of our fallen compatriots who insured that we would continue to enjoy the freedoms that we take for granted each and every day. Hell of a price to pay for a "holiday!"
Most of that is lost today. Today we refer to Memorial Day as a holiday weekend. It's really turned into a time of commercialism. We've lost the true meaning of the day considering the cost paid for such a "holiday."
"Garry Owen"
Back in my day (mid 'sixties) those of us in uniform were cursed, spat upon and generally disrespected vigorously. Even if we see Memorial Day as a "holiday" today, at least our veterans are respected and honored now. I'll take respect and a bar-b-que over what I went through any day.
Semper Fi Brothers
Bill
Semper Fi Brothers
Bill
JJ, Mike, Bill, Mitch and Dave
Thank you for your kind words and for understanding my attempt to honor our fallen heroes.
As well as those with their lives on the line now.
Thank you for your kind words and for understanding my attempt to honor our fallen heroes.
As well as those with their lives on the line now.
Dean
Elite Cafe Member
Well said by all
dogcatcher
Elite Cafe Member
I served in the same Army Division as Crazy Horse did, he was Medic in another Unit. Myself I was a "grunt" in a line Unit. During my tour of Vietnam, my small Unit lost 40 men. Some I knew for months, others only a week. One man I knew for only an hour before he was carried away in a body bag. Today is their Day, Memorial Day.
Jonathan.Silas
Elite Cafe Member
In lasting memory of those we could not save. I miss you crazy *******s each and every day, and I just wish I could have done more.
4/4/04 Black Sunday Sadr City Baghdad.
4/4/04 Black Sunday Sadr City Baghdad.
Roger B
Elite Cafe Member
Hi all,
Our equivalent in Australia and New Zealand is 25th April (ANZAC Day) and fortunately the parades and commemorations are still held on that date with many places closed for the day although the afternoon has more recently been handed over to commercialism with shops being allowed to open in some areas and professional sports being played.
ANZAC Day commemorates the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (with other "British" troops) on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey on that day in 1915 and has been remembered in varying degrees since 1916 but has since encompasses all our service members through the years. As it turned out the Gallipoli battle turned out not to be as successful as had been hoped for and all troops were withdrawn by mid December 1915.
Roger
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