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FReeper Canteen ~ MEMORIAL DAY 2016 ~ 30 May 2016
Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC and The Canteen Crew

Posted on 05/29/2016 5:04:01 PM PDT by 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

 

 

 

 




TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: canteen; memorialday; military; troopsupport
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To: Kathy in Alaska

Sorry I’m a bit late. Went on a little Bike ride to Eagle Point National Cemetery.

Try this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq2BbVZ2LEc

I wish the best.

HLB


61 posted on 05/29/2016 8:08:05 PM PDT by HippyLoggerBiker (Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake.)
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To: Kathy in Alaska

62 posted on 05/29/2016 8:10:53 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: ConorMacNessa

Good night and sleep well, Conor. *Hugz*


63 posted on 05/29/2016 8:11:10 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: radu
For sure...freedom is NOT free.


64 posted on 05/29/2016 8:16:54 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF91RhnNqRs


65 posted on 05/29/2016 8:30:08 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: Publius
Good evening, Publius...thank you for Rachmaninov's "The Star Spangled Banner".


66 posted on 05/29/2016 8:32:43 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
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To: Kathy in Alaska; fish hawk

67 posted on 05/29/2016 8:33:39 PM PDT by rlmorel ("Irrational violence against muslims" is a myth, but "Irrational violence against non-muslims" isn't)
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To: rlmorel

68 posted on 05/29/2016 8:38:31 PM PDT by rlmorel ("Irrational violence against muslims" is a myth, but "Irrational violence against non-muslims" isn't)
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To: ConorMacNessa
Thanks, Mac, for the Missing Man Setting as we remember those who have given their all that we may gather safe and secure.
69 posted on 05/29/2016 8:39:45 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtfJE4aetlc


70 posted on 05/29/2016 8:48:48 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCOJXdjCRk0


71 posted on 05/29/2016 9:00:54 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: Kathy in Alaska; 2LT Radix jr; acad1228; AirForceMom; Colonel_Flagg; AliVeritas; aomagrat; ...

Warrior Project~Warrior Song

72 posted on 05/29/2016 9:05:17 PM PDT by luvie (Bah!)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCOJXdjCRk0


73 posted on 05/29/2016 9:19:48 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: SandRat

74 posted on 05/29/2016 9:20:43 PM PDT by luvie (Bah!)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH_0tIylrDA


75 posted on 05/29/2016 9:30:43 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: PROCON; All

God Bless our Troops!


Band of Brothers ~ Main Theme


76 posted on 05/29/2016 9:33:36 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
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To: mylife

Howdy, MY! You’re very busy tonight...rockin’ the house!

Hope you are having a good weekend! Are you off tomorrow?


77 posted on 05/29/2016 9:33:58 PM PDT by luvie (Bah!)
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To: MEG33

Beautiful!


78 posted on 05/29/2016 9:34:46 PM PDT by luvie (Bah!)
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To: ConorMacNessa

...till they ALL come home....


79 posted on 05/29/2016 9:35:13 PM PDT by luvie (Bah!)
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To: radu

Beautiful post!


80 posted on 05/29/2016 9:35:56 PM PDT by luvie (Bah!)
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