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“Not for fame or reward; not for place or for rank; not lured by ambition or goaded by necessity; but in simple obedience to duty, as they understood it. These men suffered all, sacrificed all, dared all, and died.”   Today’s Memorial Day post is dedicated to our country’s fallen heroes; the 1.4 million men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in wars waged across centuries in order to preserve the principles of freedom and liberty. And to brighten your day I offer a couple rays of light into our sometimes very cloudy skies:  two amateur videos that...

I was privileged to be able to visit the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy last October. I arrived very early and, for almost an hour, I was totally alone in the cemetery. Think of those who gave their lives in what can only be described as Hell on Earth - Omaha Beach - on 6/6/44. Today, the American Cemetery is one of the most peaceful places on earth. Each white cross or Star of David represents a family shattered by loss, an empty chair at dinner, a full, productive life denied. Thank God for sending into our midst individuals who...

Friends and Fellow Citizens: Tarry here for a moment. My words shall be few and simple. The solemn rites of this hour and place call for no lengthened speech. There is in the very air of this resting ground of the unknown dead a silent, subtle, and an all-pervading eloquence, far more touching, impressive, and thrilling, than living lips have ever uttered. Into the measureless depths of every loyal soul it is now whispering lessons of all that is precious, priceless, holiest, and most enduring in human existence. Dark and sad will be the hour to this nation when it...

Ten Neo-Confederate Myths (+one) "Secession was not all about slavery." In fact, a study of the earliest secessionists documents shows, when they bother to give reasons at all, their only major concern was to protect the institution of slavery. For example, four seceding states issued "Declarations of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify Secession from the Federal Union". These documents use words like "slavery" and "institution" over 100 times, words like "tax" and "tariff" only once (re: a tax on slaves), "usurpation" once (re: slavery in territories), "oppression" once (re: potential future restrictions on slavery). So secession wasn't just...

Memorial Day is a time to remember the fallen heroes throughout our nation’s history “who gave the last full measure of devotion” to their nation. Mere words cannot capture the enormity of their sacrifice or the anguish of loved ones they left behind. Honor those who serve today. On this Memorial Day remember and pray for our troops who are in harm’s way today. And pray for their families and loved ones as they endure the hardship and uncertainty of deployment.

If you were to suddenly appear this weekend at the numerous barbecues or pool parties, without any knowledge of our nation's history, it might be hard to understand the real meaning of Memorial Day. Is it a day to sell cars, clothes and mattresses? Is it a day off of work, a time to join with family and friends, and grill out? For our family, Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer. School is out, and we transition from the school year to summer activities. But, oh, it is so much more. Memorial Day can be traced back to...

This Monday, while the VFW is holding its 10 a.m. Memorial Day ceremony at the Cody Prosser Veteran’s Memorial in Frazier Mountain Park, Gary and Lois Lee of Lockwood Valey will be remembering Gary's father, Lt. Bert Lee. Lee was in the first plane to be shot down in the surprise attack of December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. He lived to tell the tale. The phone rang this spring with an amazing message for his family. The well-known turkey rancher and apple grower, who passed away in 2006, had many tales to share around the dinner table about fighting...

On Monday, May 27th, the United States will celebrate Memorial Day. For most people it's just a three-day weekend. For some it's a day full of sales at the mall. For the more than 200,000 buried at Arlington National Cemetery, it will be a day when others will visit their graves. The living will do so because these fallen and countless thousands more gave their lives in the defense of freedom and liberty. America has a remarkable history in this respect. There were more than 4,400 deaths during the long war of the Revolution to achieve Independence. That was...

Cantrell said for him, completion of the flag placement Thursday is the most touching moment of the entire weekend: "At the end of the day," he said, "when there are flags across the whole entire cemetery, you can look across to see the service and sacrifice that people of our country have made in order for us to remain a free country."

    The FReeper Canteen Observes ------------------------ Memorial Day 2013 ------------------------   I subscribe to a terrific newsletter called the Patriot Post and received this in my email.  I wanted to share it with you all as our remembrance of Memorial Day 2013.  Thank you God, for the men and women who have given of themselves to ensure the freedoms that we enjoy!  God bless each and every one of them!Star* Heroism, Humility and Leadership The Janitor and the Medal of Honor By Mark Alexander · May 23, 2013   "Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender...

There is no better name for an event that resonates with patriotism, deep loyalty and an authentic sense of mission: Rolling Thunder. Oh, yeah. Here they come. They’re rolling, and it is thunderous. At least a half-million riders were expected for the 26th annual Ride for Freedom. “Everything about this rally still affects me, no matter how many years we’ve been doing it. And everything we do is meant to remember and honor our POWs, MIAs and all of our veterans,” said former U.S. Army Sgt. Artie Muller, who founded the organization in 1987 and named it for a U.S....

Excellent slide show at linkPerfect temperatures, a bright sun and blue sky commanded Sunday’s forecast, but it was the sound of thunder that stood out for the D.C. area, as more than a half-million motorcycles rumbled through the city for the 26th annual Rolling Thunder. Thousands of locals and visitors lined the roughly 10-mile loop along the Potomac River and across the Memorial Bridge, around the Lincoln Memorial and east to the Mall. “Nobody else loves America the way you love America,” Rolling Thunder founder Artie Muller told hundreds of riders just hours before they assembled in the Pentagon parking...

My confidential White House informant, The Really Honorable I.M. Totus, has provided this advance copy of the non-partisan Memorial Day address which he is programming President Obama to deliver. Editor's comment:Some far right-wingers may be shocked at what President Obama plans to say and may even consider it a bit over the top. However, it is wonderful to learn that he intends to meet his own personal goal of explaining things precisely as he sees them rather than hiding behind disgarded notions of political correctness and reverence for the past. Honesty is no longer merely the "best policy." Now it is...

CRAWFORD — Former President George W. Bush needed little help to blaze a trail Friday for 14 veterans mountain biking with him through open prairies, slick ravines and steep canyons. That’s because he brought the third annual Warrior 100K Ride — a three-day mountain biking trek to honor service members injured in Afghanistan and Iraq — to the well-worn paths at his Prairie Chapel Ranch outside of Waco. But even as Bush welcomed the wounded warriors to his home to thank them for their service, he made clear that his mission to help veterans extends well beyond the trails that...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Sunday Chapel ~ MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2012 ~ TAPS Canteen Mission Statement Showing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. In honor of those who lost their lives while serving our country, we would like to share with you President Ronald Reagan’s 1986 Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery: Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It’s a day...

For his 107th Memorial Day, Richard Arvine Overton, who saw many of his fellow soldiers fall in the line of duty in World War II and even more die over the following decades, is planning a quiet day at the Texas home he built after returning home from World War II. He wouldn’t want it any other way. Overton, who is believed to be the nation's oldest veteran, told FoxNews.com he’ll likely spend the day on the porch of his East Austin home with a cigar nestled in his right hand, perhaps with a cup of whiskey-stiffened coffee nearby. “I...

Among the most revered posts in the army is that of the soldiers who guard the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. Just a handful of soldiers have earned the honor of keeping vigil, and it’s a watch that has remained unbroken since 1926. TODAY’s Erica Hill reports.

Ford's B-24 Bomber Plant at Willow Run, MI, dedicated June 16, 1941 before the USA entered WW2. Henry Ford was determined that he could mass produce bombers just as he had done with cars. He built the Willow Run assembly plant and proved it. It was the world's largest building under one roof at the time. Even then FORD HAD A BETTER IDEA! This plant rolled one B-24 off the assembly line every 55 minutes. ADOLF HITLER HAD NO IDEA THE U.S. WAS CAPABLE OF THIS KIND OF THING.

Memorial Day weekend is expected to feel more like “winter” for areas of the eastern U.S., according to forecasters at weather.com, with snow possible for parts of the Northeast.

As I type my thoughts for this coming Memorial Day, it is my prayer that are worthy of surviving the flurry of other current events and will have an impact on those who read them and perhaps, will be referred to on other occasions and perhaps help drive the remembrance on future Memorial Days. I always experience a bit of dread as I ponder how to say something of relevance that goes beyond the standard “honoring those who gave all for our freedom” which gets circulated by so many writers while so many Americans head to the beach or prepare...