FReeper Canteen ~ MEMORIAL DAY 2016 ~ 30 May 2016

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC and The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

The FReeper Canteen Observes ------------------------ Memorial Day 2016 ------------------------

 

History

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet (see below) carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

More history here.

 

 

 

 

Poetry & SONG

MEMORIAL DAY In distant field of sunny France Where strangers come and go, Amid the farms of Flanders, where The fragrant breezes blow, Our soldier-dead in quiet sleep 'Neath crosses row on row. Here shrapnel shells once shrieked and burst And took their toll of death; The very wind, itself a foe, Bore poison on its breath. Above their graves the birds now sing As round that home of yore, When, carefree boys, they romped and played; Those childhood days soon o’er, The boys to brave and strong men grown, They romped and played no more. They put aside their childish toys, A man’s work each must do, And when their country called for them, To her they answered true. "We must protect our native land: She shall not suffer wrong For she has reared and nurtured us, We’re men and we are strong. We’ll bid good-by to those we love; It will not be for long." With aching hearts and tear-dimmed eyes We watched them go away. Some have returned but many sleep In foreign lands today. Where English roses bloom and fade, In France where lilies grow, Among the fields of Flanders, where The scarlet poppies blow, Our soldier-dead are not forgot Though strangers come and go. ~By Eula Gladys Lincoln~

America the Beautiful - 1913 O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife. Who more than self the country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for halcyon skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the enameled plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till souls wax fair as earth and air And music-hearted sea! O beautiful for pilgrims feet, Whose stern impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America ! America ! God shed his grace on thee Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought By pilgrim foot and knee! O beautiful for glory-tale Of liberating strife When once and twice, for man's avail Men lavished precious life ! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till selfish gain no longer stain The banner of the free! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till nobler men keep once again Thy whiter jubilee!

 

 

 

 

 

Links to redrock's
Memorial Day Threads from 2006

"We Can Be Heroes.....Just For One Day"
MEMORIAL DAY --Thread # 1


"Just Another Drunk Indian..."
MEMORIAL DAY--Thread # 2


"Chocolate Chip Cookies"
MEMORIAL DAY --Thread # 3


"Hey...Do Ya Wanna Hear a Polish Joke???"
MEMORIAL DAY --Thread # 4

 

"Remember...What We Owe.."
MEMORIAL DAY --Thread # 5


"The Betrayal of The American Soldier"
MEMORIAL DAY Thread # 6


Final -- "Falls The Night"
MEMORIAL DAY Thread # 7

 

 

 

 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Never too late...thanks, HLB, for taking that ride.

So hard to listen to...we honor them all.

[Kathy in Alaska]

God Bless our Troops!

Band of Brothers ~ Swamp

[PROCON]

Hi Kathy!

Are we continuing Memorial Day on this thread tonight?

[Kathy in Alaska]

God Bless our Troops!

Band of Brothers ~ Speers Speech

[ConorMacNessa]

BAND OF BROTHERS

WORLD WAR II

Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles"
June 7, 1944 at Ste. Marie du Mont, France

"THIS DAY IS CALL'D the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say, "To-morrow is Saint Crispian."
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."

KOREA

Marines of the "Chosin Few", 1st Marine Division
Chosin Reservoir, Korea, December 1950

"OLD MEN FORGET; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words,
Harry the King, Bedford, and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered."

VIETNAM

FMF Corpsman D. R. Howe treats the wounds of Pfc. D. A. Crum, USMC
"H" Company, 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, during Operation Hue City.


"WE FEW, WE HAPPY FEW, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."
(Henry V, Act IV, Scene iii)


AFGHANISTAN

Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division in action, Afghanistan, 2011

OUR NATIONAL MEMORIALS
October 2013


"ONCE MORE unto the breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let it pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as does a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean."(Henry V, Act III, Scene i)


THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TYRANNY GOES ON,
AS IT HAS FROM TIMES IMMEMORIAL.
THE BAND OF BROTHERS
STILL STANDS FAST IN THE BREACH!

THEY HAVE OUR SIX!

Honor Them For Their Service And Sacrifice!

[Kathy in Alaska]

God Bless our Troops!

Band of Brothers ~ Fire On Lake

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, Salvation...freedom costs a lot.

[combat_boots]

I once had lunch with a man who had been at Remagen, Chosun, and in Vietnam. At Ft. Hood, in the mess. Boy, did he have a few stories to tell in that short lunch.

[Kathy in Alaska]

God Bless our Troops!

Band of Brothers ~ Parapluie

[ConorMacNessa]

You are most fortunate to have met him!

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[Kathy in Alaska]

Beautiful...thanks for sharing.

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

Motor Machinist Mate 1st Class John E. Anderson, USN
WWII

Eternal Father Strong To Save - click

[HippyLoggerBiker]

Kathy,

I wish you the very best.

HLB
Sgt USMC, 1970-1974
STSCS(SS) USN, Ret. 1993

[Kathy in Alaska]

And we thank you for your service to our country.

[Kathy in Alaska]

The Four Freedoms

Yes, still worth fighting for...

[Kathy in Alaska]

Sorry, Pro...nothing like being REALLY late to reply.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Canteen.

Good morning

Thank you, Star and Ma, for preparing the Canteen
for today's activities.

I know I'm a day late, but
I couldn't let Memorial Day slip away
without saying THANK YOU.

Hope everyone had a safe, sunny, warm weekend.
Saturday, here, was a beautiful day.
Sunny, really warm but with wonderful breeze.
Sunday, started off the same, so hubby and I
washed and waxed our vehicles, then out to early dinner
at a local Greek restaurant.
As soon as we got there, it started raining.
Sometime time after we got home, a deluge arrived.
The drainage ditches were flowing like a raging river.

Yesterday, was grocery shopping and then to the movies, where
we watched Captain America: Civil War.
Later, after dinner, we top off the evening with our annual
Memorial Day movie: We Were Soldiers.
(it can still make me cry after all these years)

Gotta post and run. Be back tomorrow.
Please stick around and visit with the military
and/or family members.
That's what we're here for.

The FR Canteen is ALWAYS

Come in and sit for a while.
There's always plenty of coffee, tea,
pancakes, conversation, silliness,
and plain old BS

REMEMBER THEM ~ DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Good morning, Beach. How’s it going?

[beachn4fun]

Good morning EG ((HUGS))

Going ok. Getting ready to get busy for the day.

Did you have a good holiday weekend?

[E.G.C.]

Had an AWESOME holiday weekend. Bo found turtles every day. The weather was nice. I did do the grass cutting this week. It actually took several stops and starts with the lawnmower because the grass was wet but the yard looks much better this morning.

Good thing too because we may get some rain today and tomorrow.