Our friend and blogger Bob lost two brothers, one in WWII and the other in Korea (you'll want to read about it so click on his name). On this day, particularly, I think of his parents and the thousands like them who suffered that deeply and came to realize that they would always carry part of that grief with them. I think of Janet who was a neighbor and, at 85, passed away about 3 years ago, but not before talking to me again about her precious, fun-loving brother Jimmy who went to fight in WWII and never came home. She simply never stopped loving him.
If you're a serviceman or woman, please let us know in my comments section. Today, I want to acknowledge, with such humble gratitude, my blogger friends who I know were in the military: Elmer's Brother, Mustang, Impertinent, Marine4, Scotty, Constitutional Insurgent, Jon Berg, and Law and Order....I'm so proud they come to geeeeZ. I think I've forgotten a few; please don't be shy about letting us know.
I hope that, soon, our service people will feel once again that our country has their back. I hear it's not quite happening these days, and I hear that first-hand. We need to fix the military and show them we care.
Please donate to the Wounded Warriors Project or any other group dedicated to helping our soldiers and their families.
God bless them all and God bless America.
z
30 comments:
Thank you for mentioning Wounded Warriors. I wore a WWP shirt while hiking today and had the opportunity to explain to some folks what it meant.
It's currently still Sunday HST, and I've spent the evening watching the movie 'Memorial Day' and remembering that our nation not only owes gratitude to those who never made it home, but also to those who did make it home, and strive to see this nation toward it's potential, through hard work and raising families.
As I just finished posting my own rambling thoughts, I'm so glad that I had the chance to know my WWII veteran Grandfather, but I didn't fully appreciate what he went through until it was my turn. I count myself as lucky nonetheless.
If I could only turn back the hands of time.
Mr. AOW served during the Vietnam Era but stateside at Fort Meyer in Arlington, Virginia. He wasn't thanked for his service until he participated in the Gathering of Eagles back in 2007.
Many in my family served, including two of my cousins at Normandy and my father's only brother in the Pacific Theater in the Navy and two of my great uncles in the trenches in World War 1. All came home, but my uncles were disabled for life.
My cousins died very young: one at age 39 and the other at age 44. The stress of battle shortened their lives, I'm sure.
One of the above cousins and one of my great uncles are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I cannot look at photos of Arlington National Cemetery without crying because I know that many of the sacrifices made go forgotten by most Americans.
I see you mention HST, CI. FYI most of the portagee side of the family resides there. My grandfather worked in marble. We endearingly called our family chiseler.
He and the company he worked for did the bulk of the marble work at Punch Bowl and at the Arizona memorial.
My father(now deceased and a Purple Heart WWII veteran) has a childhood friend buried in Punch Bowl.(Edward Lofthouse)
The FCC has allowed HAM radio operators to take on the call sign of a deceased relative. I have proudly sported my Grandfather's call sign for 25 years, KH6AME.
Welcome home, CI and all my other brothers and sisters that haunt the halls of Geeeeez.
CI mentioned the movie "Memorial Day".
Highly recommended, and I believe still available on Netflix streaming.
Visited my dad's (and a number of other WWII vet's) gravesite Saturday.
My service was a cakewalk compared to theirs.
On this day I will think of my two uncles, I never knew, who are buried in France: Ralph, WWI and Paul WWII. Thankfully, the rest made it back.
John M. Berger, USN 1961-1964
John M. Berger, USN 1961-1964
My two oldest brothers were in the Navy at that same time, Jon.
One of them USS Forest Sherman the other on the USS Shenandoah
My brother next up from me was on the USS Uhlmann. He spent some time shelling from coast of Vietnam.
The unit I was in called the Navy to send some rounds in for us many times
John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
I rememeber my EOD shipmate Ed Koth and my good friends Amy and Burt Robinsons son Jeremiah...KIA Iraq
Thank you Z. Though I've retired, my friends are still serving. A co workers brother just suffered a concussion two weeks ago from an IED in Afghanistan. We're still fighting and dying.
Also I remember my Grandfather who served during WWII, my Army vet father and both my brothers one of which is still serving.
We still called this occasion "Decoration Day" when I was in elementary school. It originated after the Civil War to honor those dead.
Veterans Day was called Armistice Day back then too.
Have we ever given official thanks to those who fought, suffered, bled and died during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812?
After the decisive victory won by The Allies in World War Two it seems downright criminal to me that even ONE American has had to die in the many staged Exercises in Futility we've been led to indulge in since for the benefit of Munitions Manufacturers and the International Bankers who play all sides against the middle to our great detriment.
We should all be armed to the teeth to repel foreign invaders and shoot to death anyone who dares intrude on the sanctity of our homes. Aggressors of any kind deserve nothing less than DEATH.
When we are duped into becoming aggressors, ourselves, in the name of some phony, trumped-up "cause" or manufactured "crisis," our soldiers then become nothing more than victims of the greed and corrupt ambition of the few who own and operate our leaders and dictate our policies for nefarious purposes of the their own behind the scenes.
HOWEVER, a father, son, husband, brother, lover or friend killed in these Wars of Waste and Warped Ambition is no less deserving of our love, respect and reverence than those who died for genuine, noble causes. Their sacrifice may have been in vain, but as Kipling said in The Charge of the Light Brigade:
"Theirs not to reason why;
Theirs but to do and die."
For that alone they deserve our love and respect. Courage and sacrifice are still what they are even when tragically -- or diabolically -- misdirected.
May God grant our people -- and ALL people -- access to the truth, and give them the wisdom to act in accord with Truth when at last it becomes known.
Scotty,
I think that the USS Shenandoah AD26 was deployed in the Atlantic back in the 60's, an award winning Destroyer Tender! One of my buddies had served aboard her. I served aboard the USS Frontier AD25 Flag Ship, Destroyer Flotilla III (Pacific). We did a lot of work on various Destroyers 5" gun sighting systems. I hope that we helped!
JonBerg said:
I think that the USS Shenandoah AD26 was deployed in the Atlantic back in the 60's
Yes, you're right. It was stationed in Norfolk Va. Went with my parents once when we went up there visit.
The Forest Sherman was also Atlantic based, of Boston.
And yes, you guys helped a LOT! Thanks!!
I'll always be amazed at some of the things the "brown water" Navy folks also did for us too!
JonBerg, I'm adding your name to my post! Thank you for your service!
Scotty: Glad you were able to get your Grandfather's call sign, KH6AME. I, too , am a ham radio operator, and got my first license in the 1960's.
Thanks for your service for our country.
73,
Bob
Z: Thanks for the mention. Have a great holiday weekend, and keep doing what you do so well.
May all those killed in combat rest in peace. Your war is over. Thank you for the ultimate sacrifice.
Thank you to all our veterans and to those who gave their lives in service to our country. There are millions of Americans who are so grateful and love you all for your sacrifice.
I was a tiny little girl during WWII, but I remember when my uncle was MIA for awhile, behind enemy lines. Thank God he survived and came home to us.
To those of you here may I say, my heart goes out to you. There are no words to express my feelings of gratitude and respect to all of you.
God Bless you, and God Bless America.
Thank you to those who served.
I've always had a deep admiration and respect for our military.
Today I remember my Papaw. Clinton Charles Hurley served in the Navy during WWII. He served on the U.S.S. Salt Lake City.
Z - Thanks for a chance to honor our veterans on your blog.
Thanks to all of you and we appreciate all you have done for our country.
God Bless You.
Z,
Memorial Day is certainly a day that requires us to remember those who lost their live fighting for our freedom. I served with a few and I am humbled by them.
Law and Order, I'll add you to my post...thanks!
EVERYBODY:
I'm feeling a little sad after reading a mainstream article about English people marching against the jihadist killing of the young soldier in England. The news there and here is painting those marching against killing a soldier "far right wing".
Have we come to the fact that you have to be 'far right wing' (i.e. skinheads, of course, in implication) to hate violence against the WEST??
Ya, the group marching against the Brits who want to stop muslims from killing is called an "anti fascist" group, the implication being that those who hate killing western soldiers are fascists.
wow
And here's the thing:
We can argue the propriety or impropriety of each and every war or skirmish, but we canNOT diminish the value and sacrifice of those American Warriors who SHOWED UP for service to their country.
Without men willing to fight, we wouldn't be as free and as powerful as we are now.
Simple as that.
BZ
I included that in my last comment here on this Memorial Day post because we are still at war, with all of our families in peril now, not just our soldiers overseas.
And, instead of getting strong against moslem killers, we're 'fascists'. That is REALLY worrisome.
BZ, you're right.
And, who WILL fight in 10 years, after the left's indoctrinated our students into thinking America's CRAP not worth fighting for?
And that's happening, let's not kid ourselves.
We are "RACIST, hate the poor, don't want everyone to have health care, we hate gays, we're too religious, etc etc."..you know the idiotic labels we're painted with now. Does that help anyone decide to fight for America?
really bad times.
God Bless you Ms. Z and Thank you for the tribute to our best and bravest.
Imp, I thank YOU, believe me. :-)
Also my friend Sr. Chief Earl Phares...a crewmember of the USS Pueblo, held oh a N. Korean prison for a year
EB,
We're still fighting and dying.
Yes, but most Americans whom I encounter don't seem to notice.
AOW's right...I don't think people realize we still have soldiers fighting and getting killed.
When Bush was president, all we heard, every day, was how many were dying.
I believe that under Obama there have been more dead and we don't hear anything other than when our helicopters or planes go down in Afghanistan, for example.
Sometimes, you hear a short mention "a soldier killed by an IED" but the discussion about the deaths/ the length of time in the news, is nothing like under Bush.
Because we're described as a coalition forces or a NATO casualty
69% of our casualties have happened on Obamas watch
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