Written by someone who served in over 400 combat missions and who shot the bastard bin Laden.
I remember...


“Don’t wish me a happy Memorial Day. There is nothing happy about the loss of the brave men and women of our armed forces who died in combat defending America. Memorial Day is not a celebration.

Memorial Day is a time for reflection, pause, remembrance and thanksgiving for patriots who gave up their own lives to protect the lives and freedom of us all – including the freedom of generations long gone and generations yet unborn. We owe the fallen a debt so enormous that it can never be repaid.

Memorial Day is a time to honor the lives of those who would rather die than take a knee when our national anthem is played. But they will fight and die for the rights of those who kneel.

This holiday is a time to think of young lives cut short, of wives and husbands turned into widows and widowers, of children growing up without a father or mother, of parents burying their children.

Memorial Day is a time to think of might have beens that never were. Of brave Americans who put their country before themselves. Without these heroes, America would not be America.

Unfortunately, for many Americans this solemn holiday might as well be called Summer Day – marking the unofficial start of the season of barbecues, days at the beach, time spent on baseball fields and golf courses, hiking and enjoying the great the outdoors. All those things are great – we all appreciate them and they are some of the best things in life.

But Memorial Day is not Summer Day. Nor was the holiday created as a way to promote sales of cars, furniture or clothes.

Another Memorial Day brings with it a whole lot more than the start of summer. Since last Memorial Day, grass is now growing above the final resting places of many young men and women whose lives were taken too soon while defending our country in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other far-off places many Americans have rarely heard of.

When Army Sgt. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson and Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright were killed last October in an ISIS ambush in Niger, many Americans asked: We have troops in Niger? These unknown soldiers lost their lives protecting you – every one of you reading these words.

Think about this: Millions of high-school seniors are walking across auditorium stages this season, receiving their diplomas. Most will go on to college or jobs, but some will choose a career of military service, joining the second generation of American warriors fighting in the Global War on Terror – a war that began with the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that took the lives of almost 3,000 people in our homeland.

Most of these new recruits – who were not even born or who were just infants when the 9/11 attacks took place – will make it home just fine. But some will not. I pray that I am wrong, but the sad truth is that the number of American war dead on Memorial Day in 2019 will be higher than it is on this Memorial Day.

On Memorial Day, I salute my brothers and sisters-in-arms who have served beside me in War on Terror. My heart especially goes out to the families of those who did not return home. In fact, I think about all those who served and those who have given their lives fighting for America from our county’s earliest days in the Revolutionary War. They all have my gratitude.

We think we are strong, but in war any of us can be turned into just a memory in an instant. And war seems to have been be the universal experience of just about every society on the planet at one time or another, for as long as there have been human societies.

How do we stop the wars resulting in such tragic waste of lives? How do we stop the number of American war dead and war dead in other nations from growing? I wish I knew the answer. But battle lines are being drawn and redrawn, and wars and terrorist attacks just keep going on and on. Weapons are getting bigger. Bombs are becoming smarter and more lives are being lost every day all over the world, leading to more death, more anger and more war.

Some are so loyal to their cause that they strap bombs on their bodies or fly passenger jets into buildings. They conduct beheadings. They set prisoners on fire. How do we find common ground with them? Do we even try to find common ground, or do we finally take the gloves off and start landing punches intended to take our enemy out for good?

I’ve been on over 400 Army combat missions and have seen more war than most Americans. More than I care to remember, but cannot forget. There is never a shortage of war. War spreads faster than fire and like fire it leaves destruction in its wake.

It hurts my heart as an American every time I see another service member’s body being brought home draped in an American flag. But it hurts my heart as a human being with every act of war we are all unleashing against each other around the world.

This Memorial Day, I urge all Americans to remember all the fallen sailors, soldiers, airmen, Marines and Coast Guard members who have so bravely served our country, as well as their families.

And I urge all Americans to join me in the hope and prayer that somehow, someday people around the world will focus more on our similarities than our differences and that we will move closer to a time when war is just a memory – part of our past but not our future.”


Memorial Day

I sometimes think that Memorial Day ought to be the second Wednesday in February, and that anyone like a government employee should be given the morning off, and no more, to observe it. I try to not get upset about cluelessness any more than necessary, but, “Happy Memorial Day,” still makes me cringe after all these years.

A few thoughts on Memorial Day.

As I type this, my Cub Scouts are on their way to the Golden Gate National Cemetery to plant flags at headstones (I had an unexpected home repair issue hit last night, so I am not with them). I have been there in past years for the effort. Every time the trip is humbling.

The first time we did some flags for Vietnam era headstones. I was in the Army Reserves for that war, never activated, but all of my training cadre were Vietnam combat vets. I lost it. Another time, a lady, with her teen daughter, stood together silenty gazing at a headstone where we just planted a flag. I think it was her father. I lost it again.

Last year I saw an older fellow coming out of the grocery store with a WWII Navy cap with the logo of some combat ship. I stopped to shake his hand, thank him. He smiled but quietly commented "don't thank me, thank my buddies who didn't come home".

Sigmoid, thank you for this post, I think I need to write some letters to my grandsons.

It wasn't but a few short years ago that I had to preach that same thought right here on SIGforum to some of our own members.

I am glad to say that everyone now seems to understand what this holiday is about, that this is not the same as Veterans Day.

Every Memorial day I think about my Mom's Brother, my Uncle Frank. Wounded on Iwo Jima by shrapnel , he suffered with all sorts of stomach and intestine issues until 1953 when he finally passed.

Also think of two HS friends who never returned from VN.

Yes. Not a day for celebration or happiness, but somber reflection.

Gator,
thank you for that

With the start of the Memorial Day weekend. May we walk in the memory of those who forever hold the burden of our freedoms..

quote:

Originally posted by GA Gator:

They gave up all of their tomorrows so you could have your todays.

Gator:
That is an excellent pic, consistent with the experience I posted above re planting flags at the Golden Gate National Cemetery.

quote:

. . Another time, a lady, with her teen daughter, stood together silenty gazing at a headstone where we just planted a flag. I think it was her father. I lost it again. .

Of course the media likes to show it as a day off to have fun even though we know it was at someone else's expense, but they won't say that. The media has made it commercialized.

Proudly fly those flags folks!!!

Once Memorial Day was moved from May 30th to the last Monday in May, the importance of the observance became eclipsed by the three day "holiday" weekend. At least Veteran's Day didn't loose it's traditional observance date to commercialism.

I disagree to some degree...

Remembrance and somber reflection, yes, required.

But I also cherish my family time and get together.

For it it were not for those who died, I would not have that privilege. And I'm sure they are happy that their sacrifice allows us, as Americans, to be happy and thankful.

I can see both sides...

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
I disagree to some degree...

Remembrance and somber reflection, yes, required.

But I also cherish my family time and get together.

For it it were not for those who died, I would not have that privilege. And I'm sure they are happy that their sacrifice allows us, as Americans, to be happy and thankful.

I can see both sides...

I think I understand. Remember those who have sacrificed. Recognize, honor, cherish the resulting blessings from those sacrifices, which are freedoms. And share those most important matters with those who are most important to us - our families. But it would not be good to "party on dude".

Thanks for posting this. I saw this yesterday on O'Neill's Twitter feed and thought "I should post this on Sigforum". Glad you'd already done so.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
I disagree to some degree...

Remembrance and somber reflection, yes, required.

But I also cherish my family time and get together.

For it it were not for those who died, I would not have that privilege. And I'm sure they are happy that their sacrifice allows us, as Americans, to be happy and thankful.

I can see both sides...

Me too, yes I think of family members that died serving but I’m not going around all weekend somber. I’ve pondered the loss of life from our service members (and those who’ve been injured). I know the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day and I don’t get bent out of shape when other people don’t (although I will correct them). We can educate them but there’s no need to go overboard telling people how to remember those that have died giving us freedom. Just one Vets opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
I disagree to some degree...

Remembrance and somber reflection, yes, required.

But I also cherish my family time and get together.

For it it were not for those who died, I would not have that privilege. And I'm sure they are happy that their sacrifice allows us, as Americans, to be happy and thankful.

I can see both sides...

Agreed. Room for both sides.

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
Of course the media likes to show it as a day off to have fun even though we know it was at someone else's expense, but they won't say that. The media has made it commercialized.

You mean sporting events, concerts and retailers have made it into what it is....the media are just simple parrots. Let's be honest, this is the first 3-day weekend of the warm season, the business world rubs it's hands and grins, knowing this is a commercialized, event filled extravaganza that is ultimately an opportunity to spend more money and day-drink. Sales and finance executives can't wait to get into work and see what the returns are on Tuesday. Are there any retailers, food services or, non-essential business' going to be closed on Monday? Not likely. I'd have no problems with a law mandating business' close on US holidays...Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving; other countries do it for their national holidays, why shouldn't the US.