To me it isn’t picnics or bbq unless such events are held with the intent to honor our fallen comrades in arms. It is a time to gather together to share the stories of our comrade’s last full measure of devotion and why they died for us. It is a time of sadness and a time of joy. It is a time of celebration in honor of those that have died for our freedom. It is a time to remeber that we must keep their honor and assure their friends and family that their loved ones did not die in vain. It is a day to remember that these brave men and women of our armed forces died for our right to live in peace and liberty. God Bless all of our fallen comrades , their friends and families. I will be thinking of all of you as I watch the Memorial Day Parade in our small community. I am forever in debt to my fallen brothers and sisters.
Eric,
Colleen teaches 4th grade in a poor small rural district (northern boundary of the Appalachian poverty belt) & they use old school buildings. Her building houses the entire districts’ 3rd & 4th grades. Today, for the 1st time, I was able to attend the annual Memorial Day tribute to veterans there which, I think, is in its 7th year. A 4th grade girl sang “God Bless America” (beautifully, I might add), we all sang “THE Star Spangled Banner”, did the Pledge of Allegiance, and then the program continued. They played our service branch songs & all us veterans were asked to stand when the pianist played ours. Then we were asked to stand up front, individually go to the microphone & give our name, service branch & what years we served. After a standing ovation, each vet had a student come up & hand us each a round pin with our flag & an eagle printed on it. Then the students stood with “their vet” & we all sang Lee Greenwoods’ “I’m Proud To Be An American”. I don’t think any of us vets sang the whole song…too busy dryin’ our eyes!! The best was yet to come…my count was 8 little guys & gals holding up pictures 0f their “Brothers”, “Sisters”, “Uncles”, & “Daddies”, while reading poems about how they loved, missed, & were proud of their beloved deployed family members. At that point, you’d have had to have been a statue to have dry eyes.
I WILL be at that program every year! It was a beautiful tribute that I wish all of you could have experienced.
The true meaning of Memorial Day. There’s nothing like seeing life through the eyes of a child. Tuber… I feel like I was there with you. Great thread Eric.
Mike
There is no greater fan of flyfishing than the worm.
That was beautiful reading ohiotuber.I would have loved to have been there with my father.He was a Marine Corp Veteran of WWII.One of the local grade schools here on the friday before Memorial Day has the students bring in any of their relatives that are Veterans , and the school and the students honor those vets with a lunch and some kind of a small program put on by the kids.My father was proud to go with his granddaughters.
Now thats what memorial Day should be. Bless Coleen and the kids. That ought to go out on the AP for folks to read.
Heard a similar story about not being able to pray in school anymore. Maybe just one of those “urban legends”; but, reads great. Supposedly a high school graduating class of 92 kids wre going through their ceremonies and speeches etc. when one kid comes up to the podium and stands there silently for a few seconds. Suddenly all the kids in the audience loudly “sneeze” and the kid at the podium says,“God Bless You Everyone!” and then walks away to a standing ovation from all assembled there.
Mike, buddy how I wish I could have been there with you! I cried when I read your post. That Colleen is some kind of lady! Please give her a huge soldier’s hug from me. My heart is bursting with joy and pride over those children. I know all of our fallen comrades would be very proud of Colleen, you and those great kids!
I have to tell you that the folks on this site are no doubt the salt of the earth. I salute you and may “God Bless you Everyone”!
Have a great holiday compliments of those who gave the last full measure of devotion.
Folks,
Thanks to all. I wish I could have had you all there with me. BTW–that’s an open invitation for next year & I always have room in the house for friends.
Eric…GREAT picture. It says it all, doesn’t it?
I DO need to say that the program is the entire schools’, not just Colleen’s class. She was very involved, as was the entire staff, but the kids did it. I did forget that the last thing we did was walk about 1/4 mile down the road to the town cemetery where the flag was put at 1/2 mast & words were spoken by their Memorial of Military from Waynesburg killed in each war.
Mike
This weekend we have the Bolder Boulder. It is an annual event staged around Memorial Day. A race that has world class runners starting off first, followed by anyone who wants to run or walk the course. It ends up in the football stadium, where they stage a Memorial Day event complete with patriotic music, speeches and a jet fly-over. Thousands attend.
This year a local group, “The Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center”, have announced that they plan to stage a big anti-Iraq war protest at the event.
My youngest son, who ran this race a couple of times while in high school, is a Marine who lost both legs to a land mine in Iraq this year. I’m hoping he’ll compete in the wheelchair part of the race in future years.
So, needless to say, I’m having a real emotional problem with this group. Memorial Day is not about war, it is about warriors. It is about honoring our citizens who have served in our armed forces, defending our country and serving its interests. Protecting a country that allows the freedom to go out and stage a protest at an event meant to honor them.
Dear oldfrat:
Your post regarding your son deserves more that mere words. Tell him this from me, Thank You. We can never repay either of you the debt we owe. To you, for giving him to us and to him for his sacrifice.
Brad,
As touched as I was at the program the 3rd & 4th grade students put on for us, I am upset with the situation you describe. Yes, our country allows demonstrations, but the groups conducting them need to show SOME class & judgement about when & where to stage them. They may be protesting a war with which they disagree, but, in this instance, they are also disrespecting many very fine people, and I have a MAJOR PROBLEM with that! Brad, with your sons’ injuries, I’m sure you are extremely upset about this. I have been wondering about you & your son, hoping his spirit is high & recovery is progressing as hoped. Please let us know how he is doing.
Mike
For those of us who hold this country dear, who still salute the flag and stand when the National Anthem is played, the protesters seem very wrong.
However, we are in the minority. The protesters are the politically correct ones these days. It’s not ‘cool’ to be patriotic or a flag waving American. It is cool to bash the government, the president, the troops, and everything considered to be “american” - and I’m not talking about the terrorists - this is the American major media and print. Why are those groups able to do such a protest? Because no one stops them…that wouldn’t be ‘politically correct.’
Is it time to stand up and tell those protesters they are wrong and to go home? It’s been time for a long time…we’ve just looked the other way.
I got the following in an email today and thought it needed to be shared.
Memorial Day is an act of remembrance to celebrate the lives of those who died and allow us to rededicate ourselves to giving back to America in their memory. This act of National Unity is to honor America’s fallen whose gift is our freedom and to help put “memorial” back into Memorial Day.
To help Americans re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed in December 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps.
I for one still salute the flag and stand when the National Anthem is played.
LF,
Well said!..Maybe we should stage “Pro-America” demonstrations at their gatherings? (although demonstrations have never been my cup of tea).
It’s really too bad some folks don’t appreciate the rights they have & HOW they got them.
Mike
[This message has been edited by ohiotuber (edited 29 May 2005).]
[This message has been edited by ohiotuber (edited 29 May 2005).]
Evan has been making remarkable progress. He’s been walking on his two prosthetics with just a single cane. Arm and hand fully recovered. No vision recovered in right eye.
He’ll be having more surgeries soon --a thicker skin graft for one leg and plastic surgery around his eye. But his spirits and attitude remain remarkable. And, to top it off, he just got engaged to a wonderful young woman!
Your posting is most encouraging. Your
son sounds like an extroidinary young man.
Our thoughts and prayers as well as sincere
appreciation go to this brave young man.
Warm regards, Jim
Thanks, JC. I was thinking about posting that link, but didn’t for reasons you can understand.
My dad was an Army footsoldier in WW-II. Maybe that is why I was rasied to think about Memorial Day the right way.
I have no problem with anti-war protests. Idiots will be idiots.
I have major problems with anti-war protests at Memorial Day observations. This year’s Memorial Day means even more to me than the ones before.
Thank heavens I won’t be there when they stage their protest in such an inappropriate place and time… Instead, I’ll be on the road on my way to give Evan some help.
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