Memorial Day Honors ...

[GattonFan]

... To all of you who served this country and allow me to enjoy the blessings of freedom and the privileges it affords. I was of age during the Viet Nam war, enlisted, and got reclassified 4F on a physical deferment. It would have been an honor to serve with many of my classmates and friends - some of whom I lost to that war - but it wasn't in the cards. My one big regret in life. Hats off to all you veterans!!

Dennis

[dubtrub]

Well said Dennis.

US Army 63-66, Army National Guard 82-94. Love our military.

It is the Veteran

[Veenture]

I will always be greatfull to the Americans and Canadians who liberated my country too (Holland) and shan't forget that I owe the freedom I have come to enjoy because of their effort.
Europe's so deerly re-won freedom is now being squandered again by -what I call- 'peaceful infiltration' allowed to take place on European soil today. We shall one day have to pay yet another heavy price to regain our Western values and freedom...(it's alarming and scary how the 'new generation' is unaware of this and there are those politicians who simply shut their eyes to what's happening in their best efforts in being 'politically correct'...)
I salute the veterans with you.

[Dennisthe Menace]

The Sack Lunch Story

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in myassigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.
Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan
After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time..As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base ' His friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the20plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him.' Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'
'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.' After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars. Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.
When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars! Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them the seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base and I’m sure you are ready for a snack or a sandwich. God Bless You.'
Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.
It seemed so little...
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life,wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

In honor of our upcoming Memorial Day, pass this along to commemorate the date as it was intended…..... far more than the unofficial start of summer.

[Elnjay]

My Father turned 97 years old this January; last July I brought him home to finish his remaining time with me.

He was drafted, then discharged before WWII- discharge date 1 week before Pearl Harbor!
Guess what? He hadda go back!

He landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, and (4) Purple Hearts, A Bronze Star, and enough Battle Ribbons to float a battleship later, was "ZI'd" home with some pretty serious injuries.

He was in an "Anti-Tank" unit, and of course his job was to....stop tanks! Which all things considered, probably was not all that easy and not so much fun either.

He served in the Battle of the Bulge, I understand that over 85% of his outfit was KIA; right now only he and 1 other member survive, and still keep in touch- I E-Mail for him-

(His Buddy is a "youngster"; only about 87 ot 88 I think, my dad was close to 30 when he was in combat, the other soliders called him "Gramps".

Legend has it that my dad once actually told General Patton to "Go **** Yourself!", something to do with how the General felt they COULD have better carried out an attack or something like that, I think...

I recently spent a year hassling with the VA to get him increased benefits; he can no longer walk and needs help with every facet of daily living. They "lost the paperwork" and only after literally writing my Congressman, did I get him the Aide and pension he deserves.
Compared to the Bail-out money being thrown around- It ain't very much!

Anyway- it's a major PITA to take care of him and his needs, and he really isn't all that pleasant about it all (he's always been super independent) Plus we never really got along that well- He's not really been a huge supporter of my musical career, such as it's been-

But anyway- Happy Memorial Day, Dad! This one's for you!

[dubtrub]

Elnjay,

God Bless you and your dad.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Incredible Piece of History Elnjay!

[Veenture]

Wow Elnjay, your story triggers many emotions!
I don't have an impressive story to tell; I was born in occupied Holland in 1944 during the so called 'starvation winter'. It was mainly the food droppings by the Allied Forces that kept me and so many others from starvation in the end -not all sadly. Yeah, my parents related the War Story to us kids. (In our innocence we even thought it fascinating and exciting! (...).

I visited Normandy with my son 3 years ago and we did the WWII 'museum tour' -invation beaches and all. Steven was very impressed. I was very impressed. We visited the American Cemetry too...I shall never forget.
War isn't exciting...it is most horrid.

Indeed Elnjay, God bless you and your dad.

[sleeperNY]

US Army 1970-72. Served in Viet Nam for a year and a half.

Jim

[handbrake]

We attended our local Memorial Day observance which was followed by a small parade to the national cemetery. The Coast Guard commander who spoke at the event reminded us that it's the veterans who defend, and not the people who exemplify, that ensure we have the rights of speech, press, assembly, vote and religion.

Outside of town on the way to the ferry, there's a sign at the beginning of a driveway that reads "Freedom Is Not Free". That sign's been there for quite some time and as a youth I thought it was a little like a broken watch--appropriate a few time every year. Now older, I understand this statement much better--in fact, I see it as being somewhat existential. After you acknowledge the sacrifices of others to defend liberties, everything beautiful that you create becomes a part of something worth protecting.

--A grateful son