One more Memorial Day Thread...

For those of us that have worn the uniform of of a military service, I would like to thank those who have not served and have supported us through both war and peace. We owe you a debt, and those of you who have been there for us, are often forgotten.

Not all heroes wear a uniform and certainly not only patriots have been in the services, we being a diverse people find ways to show our love of country and of our way of life. Here on DU I see many varied opinions. I see fear & courage; I see compassion & disdain; I see love & I see hate. Every emotion that is possible in the human psyche has passed through these pages over the years I've been here. But I have seen so very few posts by those who would claim they "despise" our uniformed service members. We all want them home, and we want this carnage to end.

Those of us who have served know that you are looking out for the lives of our young men and women. Those of you who have not served, are often all that we had on our side when things were getting a little rough. I think that you should be commended.

This Memorial Day, as in all past that I have been an adult, I will go to a cemetery. This time it will be here in town, that has a small area with Civil War soldiers buried in it, along with a half-sized statue of Lincoln looking out upon the field. Strange that there should be so many Civil War veterans buried in Nebraska, but every state, except perhaps Hawaii has some. The Civil War gave birth to Memorial Day, and just as it forged this nation into a single entity, so have those who remember those who gave the last full measure of their devotion.

I hope and pray that soon our service members will return from the Middle East, and I certainly hope this situation will not escalate further in the future. If we, as a society of sane individuals, dedicated to the ideology that all people can and may someday live in peace, show that we can be above this sort of fray, we might give hope to others.

I ask that each of you, as I will tomorrow, take just one moment, and think of all that the members of our Armed Forces have preserved for us, and for those who have supported them throughout the almost 230 years we've been a nation.

May Peace be with you all, and may you remain dedicated to the proposition that we are all created equal, and we shall not allow this, or any other administration take that noble thought from us.

:patriot:

When you visit the cemetery, say a few words for me, if you would.

place for reflection.

I have sat there when Cub Scouts & Brownies, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, 4H members and others, place the small flags upon the graves of those who have gone on before us. 3 years ago, when I had the money, I bought 500 Flags, (made in the USA of course), and donated them to the groups who do this every year.

A group of Girl Scouts were placing flags on the graves of the CW vets that year, and one of them asked me if I was a veteran, her mother tried to say she was emabarrassing me, but I smiled and told her yes. She thanked me and gave me hug...:) This girl's mother had a tear in her eye, an she told me her father had been killed in Korea. I told her he was a brave man and she should be proud. He is buried in that cemetery, and when the girl showed me his grave, I kneeled on one knee and said "thank you". This young girl said she wished she had known her Grandfather, to which I answered, "I wish I could have known him as well, he was a hero."

I turned to leave, because I felt the tears coming. In the distance, somewhere, someone was playing Taps. It was a moving experience, one I shall recall until I leave this world.

I am watching the National Memorial Day concert on PBS, the personal account they are giving on there are heart wrenching to say the least.

I have choked up a couple of times already.

I would be happeir if there wasn't a serious lean to propaganda, but I cannot begrudge anyone who serves, served or supported those who serve.

I am a sucker for this type of stuff anyway...:D

Natalie Cole has such a great voice, I haven't seen her in years...:)

Much nicer weather than they had tonight.

:D

One Memorial Day, when I was still in the Army, they had a concert, and did the 1812 Overture, it was funny as all get out to watch people jump and scamper away when that first gun went off!...:rofl:

It is difficult for me to watchthings like this w/o getting choked up. I have lost a few buddies, and I know what this is like.