Memorial Day 2014

To my fellow veterans ... thank you for your service and sacrifice.
To the families of my fellow veterans ... thank you for your service and sacrifice as well.



Even though they can't hear this I wish to say 'thank you especially to the 'greatest generation' who served in World War II' - both the soldiers and the families. What you faced on the battlefield and on the home front was unbelievable. I can't imagine it. Thank you for stepping up.

My time in the service was very quiet in comparison to those in WWII. It was spent in the US Army as a Chaplain Assistant. This was from 1981 - 1986. My duty stations were Fort Hood Texas and Camp Zama Japan. At that time I had requested to go Airborne, but was turned down because I was a female (a 19 year old 105 pound female who could barely stand with the parachute pack let alone the rest of the gear ... so you can see why). I was a lousy shot with the M16, but was pretty good with a grenade. The M60? I couldn't hold it straight ... I didn't have the weight to be able to keep it steady ... when I would pull the trigger, the force of the bullets coming out flung me everywhere in the foxholes. My one service injury ... just a bit of frostbite on the grenade range at Fort Dix during basic training ... so no injuries to speak of. I have been asked ... why did you volunteer to serve in the US Army? My answer - my intent was to serve my country and to help keep us safe. Our intent to serve America has been abused by the politicians in power through the years, but that doesn't change the fact that the intent of those of us who volunteer is service and safety for America.

I signed up over thirty years ago. When I was in service in the 1980s - it was a different time period than it is now. Would I volunteer now? I honestly don't know. Being in the service in 1981, I felt like I was helping keep America safe. I can't help but think that enlisting now could be like jumping into a meat grinder. The intent would be service and safety for America ... but what the politicians do with that intent is something I really don't trust anymore. The mission is still what it used to be ... but politicians aren't fulfilling the REAL mission of our military. Lives are being wasted. Instead of using our military solely to protect America, politicians are MISUSING the good intent of our volunteers. And that is sad. That is criminal.

Side note - and I should add that how the VA is being run is inexcusable.
Again the term 'meat grinder' comes to mind.

In reference to Memorial Day itself - some Memorial Day observances happened before the actual official day was declared. On May 1, 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina freed slaves honored 257 Union soldier war dead. The soldiers died at a prison camp and were buried in a mass grave. The freed slaves reburied the soldiers with honor. It took them two weeks to properly bury them.



'Decoration Day was established on May 5, 1868 by the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). It was declared as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that May 30 should be Decoration Day because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

Waterloo New York claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. May 5, 1866 was the first day of Memorial Day observances in town. Parades were held and the graves of the dead were decorated. The memorial celebrations continued yearly after this with other towns joining in. It was on May 26, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed a Presidential Proclamation recognizing Waterloo as the Birthplace of Memorial Day even though the Charleston, South Carolina celebrations predate Waterloos..

The former Confederate states have some Confederate Memorial Day observances. I lived in Alabama through the 1990s and saw this. I don't gt it, but they feel it's important so I thought I should mention it.


Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971 via the Uniform Holiday Act.

I know there are those out there at ATS who will flame away and say US soldiers are evil, blah blah blah ... to them I say, I'm glad you still have freedom of speech to be able to say that. Thank a vet for that freedom. And to the posters who have actually said 'there is nothing special about service members' (yes, I actually read a comment like that this past week) ... I say to you ... lucky you that you get to live in America and be so spoiled.

People who volunteer to do this to help keep you safe ARE special.


HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY ATS. WHILE EATING HOT DOGS FROM THE GRILL; OR WHILE PLAYING IN THE SURF AT THE BEACH; OR WHILE SITTING ON THE COMPUTER AT ATS COMPLAINING ABOUT POLITICIANS; DON'T FORGET TO BE THANKFUL THAT YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO SO BECAUSE PEOPLE VOLUNTEERED AND PUT THEIR VERY LIVES AT RISK TO HELP MAKE SURE YOU ARE SAFE AND FREE **.

** safe and free to do so for now. Clouds of change are on the horizon.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Thanks for those references. Sadly, a lot of people in USA doesn't know the story behind the Memorial Day. I ramdomly ask people every year what is celebrated in Memorial Day. The usual poor cold answer is something like "It's a day to remember all dead soldiers".

I wasn't born in USA but I'm a proud citizen of The United States of America. Soon I'll be 50 years old, this country still count on me anytime, ready to protect the Constitution.

R.I.P to brothers in arms that never made it home .. your gone but not forgotten ..

Thank you to the families that live with the sacrifice that we have made, they are the true heroes that live on, remember your lost and always keep them in your heart.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Thank you to all military who have served past, present and future to protect my freedom; I am deeply grateful.

Thank you for your service.
My husband is a veteran. Memorial Day is not about picnics and pool openings. The image of the soldier toward the bottom of your post is quite poignant.

Thanks to ALL, living and gone, who have fought for noble reasons.

For Memorial Day we usually like to try to go to Gettysburg for the Memorial Day parade. We like to walk the battlefield and walk in town. The parade is very Americana .... small town and patriotic. Lots of re-enactors. But this year we won't be going. So I'll be missing that. Maybe we can get out there for the July re-enactments. That would be nice. Back before I got sick, I tried to talk my husband into doing the reenactment stuff. It didn't happen. .... It looks like fun.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Flyers, thank you for the post. It means a lot to us old war horses.

This morning we decided to pay our Memorial Day respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier in Philadelphia. In the Washington Square Park, where the memorial stands, there are thousands of people buried .... some soldiers who died at Valley Forge during the brutal winter, as well as people who died during a Yellow Fever outbreak in Philadelphia. This memorial has an eternal flame, just like JFK has an eternal flame in Arlington Cemetery.

"Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington's army who died to give you liberty."


We also visited the tomb of Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross (who is buried at her home with her third husband). The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall had pretty short lines so we went in and saw them as well .... again. (been there a lot).

I visited people I served with I still remember in my mind, and thought about the pieces of myself that I lost I can never get back. (bits and pieces of my mind and the kid I used to be, along with things I would rather forget)

If I weren't so damned poor I would go to the Normandy Beach heads and swim there and camp on the beach and hope the spirits of those who departed from there would visit me in my dreams.

I'm so selfish.

Well, the weekend is over. People are back online. If anyone has any nice Memorial Day stories to share, please feel free to post them.