What we can do for Memorial Day here at DU.

It has always been a holiday that brings out mixed emotions in me. The closest I came to serving was joining a high school NJROTC, and spending 3 weeks in Quantico in basic (styled) training. But without too much abuse. It was enough to teach me that I was too independent to be told when to shit, eat, and do push ups. My father joined the army just to get his citizenship, so he could later practice law. Both my grandfathers served in eastern europe, until the soviet horde almost killed them. Most the relatives ended up dying in Siberia. My family viewed the military as their collective savior - living in deported persons camps, the US military fed them when they were starving, clothed them when all they had were rags, and protected them from roving gangs and worse.

I look, or used to, at military service as something special. I look at military leaders as a product of training, education, hard work, and more of the previous three. Despite Abu Gonzales, and the resulting torture, despite our own dead, young lives snuffed out without reason, despite the unnecessary civilian deaths in Iraq, despite the threats against Iran, and despite the rapes the crimes, the violence, and the mistakes in Iraq, we should treat this Memorial Day as something special.

Our military is not perfect, our leaders have made many mistakes, including caving in to Rummie and Bush, but they still represent something special. They risk their lives following orders every single day. The fact that we here have seriously difficulties with those orders is besides the point.

For those who forgot, Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed the last Monday of May. Early on it was called Decoration Day, and honored men and women who died in the Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to encompass all wars fought by the US.

Last St. Valentines day, we were given hearts to hand out. Perhaps we can do the same for this holiday, to those posters who come up with the best posts, threads, and ideas on how to accomplish the best honor we could give our troops, getting them the hell out of Iraq - alive, healthy and back home.

It Not Holiday for me. I remember the brothers on the Wall. End Up Drinking a few and go to bed

a "holiday" implies a celebration of joy. It is really a day of death and sacrifice.

As a history buff 1941-1945 Pacific mostly
I always watch my 'Carriers' video on that day, and like you have some beverages!!!
And pray that we dont have another senseless Iraq or Vietnam tragedy.
I was in the Air Force a few years back
Our military deserves all of our thoughts and prayers....always.


'CURAHEE'

that has sold out to the same big money as the other party

We need a second party





No disrespect to our departed military
or the ones we are fighting so hard to save