Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shaleeee on May 26, 2010 at 13:56

Kathy, Thank you for starting this discussion - my heart is heavy for these families as well as all families who have lost one of our heroes - my heart is also full of gratitude to them and all veterans who have given us the freedom we have today. Thank you for all you have given and all you have fought for - we are in your debt. God Bless the USA

Permalink Reply by sesport on May 26, 2010 at 22:46

I agree with Shaleee's sentiments. Thank you all who serve or have served in any capacity. And thanks Kathy for the reminder. 80)

Permalink Reply by S.H.M. on May 27, 2010 at 3:27

Memorial Day is a happy and somber time for me. Not sure how those two can mesh. Happy for the chance to reconnect with family and friends. Happy also to live in a country such as our great US of A. Somber, of course, to feel the weight of multitudes of those that have served and those who have fallen.

Any one that serves is a hero. I choke it out to say war is...necessary. But it certainly should never be taken lightly. The value of just one life is immeasurable.

We should do everything in our power to make sure those who return have the best care possible.

Thank you to all who have or are serving. And yes, God bless you and your families.

Permalink Reply by Jimburgess on May 27, 2010 at 4:43

Thanks to Kathy for starting this discussion. All of us should take a moment to remember all who
served our country. I would like to remember two men....Rab Burgess who served in the Korean conflict
and did return home,,,,,,,,Buck Nunnally,who lost his life in World War II at Iwo Jima. Both of these men
are relatives. I am proud of them and all their comrades is arms. God Bless America.
Jim Burgess

Permalink Reply by Dorcheated A1 on May 27, 2010 at 5:40

I don’t know what to say? Words, can’t really fully explain why the sight of the American flag never gets old to me. How to express my gratitude to all the soldiers past, and present who have sacrificed so much to insure my liberties is difficult. To fly the American flag, or just to say thank you, seems to be inadequate. I can however promise you, that I will never take my freedoms, or liberties for granite, and while a lot of Americans this weekend will be celebrating the start of Summer. I will be celebrating the courage, and sacrificed that both you and your family have given for me.

Permalink Reply by el paso techA1 on May 27, 2010 at 6:46

Thank a teacher for being able to read this. Thank a soldier for it being in English.

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on May 27, 2010 at 6:47

http://www.gohaynesvilleshale.com/photo/tomb-of-the-unknown?context...

http://www.gohaynesvilleshale.com/photo/arlington-cemetery?context=...

Permalink Reply by jffree1 on May 27, 2010 at 11:20

It is
the VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,

It is the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag,

God Bless them all!!!

Permalink Reply by Shaleeee on May 27, 2010 at 14:20

jffree1 & Skip - jffree, what you have written says it all and is beautiful - Skip, the pictures are awesome, every time I see a picture of Arlington Cemetery I choke up - each stone represents thousands of heroes who are not buried there and it also brings to mind what they must have endured (their story) and the hardships their families also endured - hope and pray we never loose what they have given us . . .

Permalink Reply by Stevew on May 27, 2010 at 20:16

One easy way to honor vets is to find a graveyard and help pick up the trash. Most graveyards are non profits and almost all are struggling. It's almost always old people who do this volunteer work and they really appreciate the help.

Many vets graves are marked with the war and company they served in. It's easy to find a vet whose grave could use sprucing up.

Also, I always play Jimi Hendrix's Memoral Day 1970 concert at Berkeley for my neighbors. Hendrix was a vet (ok, he got out early when he injured his back jumping with paratroopers in basic training.)

Permalink Reply by Kat Bloomfield on May 28, 2010 at 1:08

One of our nation's best, my father, decorated with, inter alia, the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross), served a total of 26 years, including over 100 missions flown in Viet Nam, many in the EC-121 (ears in the sky), died recently. He will be buried with full military honors and a 21 gun salute at Arlington Cemetery later this summer.
Patton said we should not mourn the fallen soldier; rather we should celebrate that such men and women lived. Daddy's legacy lives--a son served in the US Nuclear navy, retiring as a Captain; and his two daughters both currently serve in the USN, one as a naval jet fighter pilot and the other on an aircraft carrier. But, Daddy's legacy is even more wide-reaching: he was the most kind, gentle, solid as a rock guy as you'll ever meet. You'd never catch him with a "peace the old fashioned way" sticker on his vehicles. He'd rather discuss what we do about the growing class of folks who've slipped out of the "system," asking me once, "K, what do we do about this and how do we help?" He'd rather discuss how to resolve the nationa's failure to help our veterans---for mere example, the government denied any service connection between parkinsons and agent orange and did so for decades despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary? Why? These were Viet Nam vets; they're gettin' old and there's a few dollars to save by denying the connection. The law finally was changed. I'd like to think Daddy played a part in that, which may help one vet somewhere even if just a little; he repeatedly filed VA applications requesting the service connection, even as his body writhed with and was slowly destroyed by parkinsons. He practiced what he preached; never say never, never say die, never say failure.
My father; my hero; my rock.

Permalink Reply by Shaleeee on May 28, 2010 at 2:47

Caliente, my condolences to you and your family - you will be in my prayers. My brother-in-law was buried in the Arlington, TX National Cemetery with full military honors and that was the most impressive and heart touching (as well as beautiful) ceremony I have ever seen. There were continuous funerals that day, staggered minutes apart, watching the precision and reverence of the soldiers as they took care of one of their own and the sound of the 21 gun salute and taps coming from up the hill where the head stones were exact in their placement - an amazing and well deserved ceremony for a hero. Sounds like your dad was a great example to his children.

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