Remembering on Memorial Day....

[Firemanray]

Memorial Day is coming next monday. I thought it would be neat to have a thread to remember those that served our country in order to maintain the freedoms we have. I'll go first.


I buried my father on 9-11-09. He served over 20 years in the Navy. He retired as a Master Chief. He served on many destroyers and other vessels that he never talked much about. I sent him a "thank you" note on memorial day 2009, when he passed I found the note printed in LARGE letters hanging above his desk. 'nuff said. Thanks DAD!

[LizardRunner]

My was a colonel in the USAF, served 25 years as a pilot before he retired. He was in the begining missile program in operations til 1964, vietnam 1964-1965, flew the DEW line from 1966-1968 when he changed duties as we went back to california. In 1969 he contacted his former boss, Jimmy Dolittle to "save me from vietnam" he succeded in keep me from serving a tour of duty there. He had two bronze stars with oak leaf clusters, many others including a presidential medal of merit. The day in 2008 he passed to the spirit world I got to tell him He was the only hero I ever had.

[steph74]

I would like to remember my Grand Father,
http://www.maquisdelain.org/images/articles/mini_leonBoghossian.jpg
Had his role in the French Resistance during WWII as leader of a camp doing what they were doing at that time to bug the Germans ;)
Stayed in the Military at the end of the War and did all the French campaigns of that period, Italy, Indochine (our Vietnam fiasco), Algeria....

Received the Highest Decorations from French Government when you were getting a medal for your actions and not only for being there ;)
Received the Bronze Star from the US Government as well

Passed away in 1981 and i regret that I was too young to listen to his complete history.

My Dad served for 34 years as well
Grand Mother was a liaison agent for the resistance during WWII
Father in Law served in the US Navy
Grand father in Law was a medic on the beaches of Normandy during WWII

[Mudderoy]

I would like to remember my Grand Father,
http://www.maquisdelain.org/images/articles/mini_leonBoghossian.jpg
Had his role in the French Resistance during WWII as leader of a camp doing what they were doing at that time to bug the Germans ;)
Stayed in the Military at the end of the War and did all the French campaigns of that period, Italy, Indochine (our Vietnam fiasco), Algeria....

Received the Highest Decorations from French Government when you were getting a medal for your actions and not only for being there ;)
Received the Bronze Star from the US Government as well

Passed away in 1981 and i regret that I was too young to listen to his complete history.

My Dad served for 34 years as well
Grand Mother was a liaison agent for the resistance during WWII
Father in Law served in the US Navy
Grand father in Law was a medic on the beaches of Normandy during WWII

That is too cool. I remember things like this from movies and history classes in school, but as far as I know I never knew anyone that actually took part in this horrible, yet amazing time in history.

[4.3LXJ]

I would like to remember my Uncle Robert McGreggor. He was a direct male descendant of Rob Roy McGreggor, the guy in the movie Rob Roy. He was a vet of WWII, was drafted in 1942 at the age of 42. We still have his draft notice and love letters. He passed away in 1958. He told me a few stories, like how he got run over by a tank.

[XJ Rat]

My Uncle retired after 33 years in the US Navy as a Senior Master Chief. He first enlisted in 1917. I have his King Neptune certificate dated 1939.

He was at Pearl Harbor on battleship row (USS Maryland) on Dec 7, 1941. He told me about that one, what a story!

Passed away Nov 1980. He saw a lot of action in WWII with both the Pacific fleet and the Atlantic fleet.

God rest all of our heroes. I give thanks, for we would not have what we do without their sacrifices over the last 235+ years!

[Mudderoy]

Somewhat unrelated I suppose...

I was getting some after lunch coffee in the cafeteria downstairs and I read a sign that they had up at the check out.

"Due to the long Memorial Day Weekend we will be close Friday at 1:00 PM"

What?!?!? Why would you need to close early on Friday PRIOR to the Memorial Day weekend? I mean I see why you would want to but DUE TO? Due to is something you say like, "Due to my wife finding out about my affair with a cross country truck driver she is scheduled to be on Jerry Springer's show."

"Due to my hard work I have been promoted and received a healthy pay raise and bonus!'

There's lots of valid "dues" but I don't see how this one is.

"Due to us wanting to start the weekend early, we will be closing at 1:00pm Friday"

[LizardRunner]

Sounds like banker's hours have arrived at the lunch counter.

[xj4life2]

First of my father CPO RP Strand served on the 1st and 2nd USS Lexington in the pacific theater during WW2. He was a radio operator and belly gunner in the TBF Avenger torpedo bomber. He pasted away April 16th 2003

Next My son Sgt JJ Strand, Combat Medic,currently saving lives and getting our boys home from a FOB in Iraq .This is his second tour in the big sand box. I know that Memorial Day is About those who gave thier all for our country,but I also feel we need to give respect to those who are putting thier lives on the line everyday for us,especially those who have completed thier service and re-upped to continue thier service to us. Here is a direct quote from my son from an article writen about him on Dec 31,2010

The most Strand would offer by way of a New Year's contemplation was this: "I don't want to be sitting as a 60-year-old man on my front porch thinking what I could have done," he said. "I'm proud to wear the uniform. It's been a very good year. I'm happy. I'm healthy. I've got a lot of options, a lot of things ahead of me. Any time you have a great job, doing what you love, with people who support you, that's a measure of a great life.

I'm not writeing this to brag or glorify my son but rather to illustrate the amount of comitment that our soldiers have , not just my son but I know for a fact that most of them feel the same way and living or Deceased they should be memorialised.
Sorry guess I got on rant.

[xj4life2]

Somewhat unrelated I suppose...

I was getting some after lunch coffee in the cafeteria downstairs and I read a sign that they had up at the check out.

"Due to the long Memorial Day Weekend we will be close Friday at 1:00 PM"

What?!?!? Why would you need to close early on Friday PRIOR to the Memorial Day weekend? I mean I see why you would want to but DUE TO? Due to is something you say like, "Due to my wife finding out about my affair with a cross country truck driver she is scheduled to be on Jerry Springer's show."

"Due to my hard work I have been promoted and received a healthy pay raise and bonus!'

There's lots of valid "dues" but I don't see how this one is.

"Due to us wanting to start the weekend early, we will be closing at 1:00pm Friday"

Or my personal favorite :
My wife is planning on geting pregnant this afternoon and I would like to be there.

[4x4Dalton]

I would like to remember my Grandfather Phillip Baker. He was a Master Sargent in the Army for many yrs.He was a radio man most of his time in Military . Was there for the testing of the A- Bomb as well. Received Commendation letters from 2 different Presidents for his work. He passed away in 1980 before I really had a chance to be able to fully understand what all he had done. To this day though I still miss him.

[LizardRunner]

I want to slaute all our serving warriors it is because of them that we still have some freedom and a way of life that most living in other parts of the world are envious of.

[XJ Rat]

For many, Memorial Day brings to mind images of parades and picnics, of barbecues and baseball games. What's sometimes forgotten are the reasons for the holiday: The sacrifices made by American soldiers in times of conflict.



As the United States' death toll passes 1,000 in Afghanistan, Memorial Day takes on an especially poignant meaning this year. Here's a brief look at how the holiday got its start, and how people are searching for ways to honor the brave men and women who have lost their lives.



The first holiday

Originally, the holiday was known as "Decoration Day." It was started by a Civil War general named Gen. John Logan, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. General Logan sought a way to help the country come back together after the horrors and divide of the Civil War.



The holiday was first observed on May 30, 1868, and Gen. Logan chose that date for two very important reasons: First, the day did not mark the anniversary of a Civil War battle, and second "flowers would likely be in bloom all over the United States." Indeed, many took flowers to Arlington National Cemetery, an activity that still occurs every year.



More on Gen. John Logan

General John A. Logan has a tremendous legacy that goes well beyond his efforts to honor fallen soldiers. According to a museum dedicated to his memory, Gen. Logan led an inspired life and enjoyed a tremendous career. At different points, he was a United States congressman, a senator, and a candidate for the vice presidency. He and his running mate, James G. Blane, lost their bid, but "Logan's popularity with veterans contributed to the narrowness of the defeat."



An official holiday

This may come as a bit of a surprise, but Memorial Day, despite having been around for over 100 years in one form or another, didn't become an official federal holiday until 1971, when Congress passed the National Holiday Act. This created a three-day weekend at the end of May. Prior to this, different states observed the holiday on different days.



The effect on Web search

Web lookups on "memorial day" and "celebrate memorial day" are both up over 500% during the past seven days. Additionally, queries on "memorial day quotes" and "memorial day history" are soaring, as are searches for "memorial day parades" and "memorial day flowers".



Also worth noting - the "national moment of remembrance." This moment takes place at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day and lasts one minute. According to Remember.gov, "the Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans."