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Is is just me, or does anyone else get offended by the greeting "Happy Holiday" or "Happy Memorial Day"?

The American Soldier "He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast. But when I think of his patience under adversity, of his courage under fire, and of his modesty in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us,...

Each Memorial Day, Americans proudly, and solemnly, display our flags only at the half-staff position for the morning, not to return them to the full-staff position until noon. This we do in memory of the million-some casualties whom our nation has lost in battle since the Founding era. We hold parades in their honor; we hoist a flag and raise a toast at city parks and private barbecues. We may wear red, white and blue clothing, or flag lapel pins, or decorate our homes with bunting. But for all this show of support, who are we really honoring? Do we...

OK, see if you can make it thru without choking a little.

I know the first three say the same thing, but I couldn't ignore them because they all had different angles to them that are important to recognize.Happy Memorial Day.

Hope everyone has a good and safe Memorial Day.

Let us never forget those who gave their life for our freedoms. Remembering the brave men and women who gave their “last full measure of devotion” for our freedoms, requires us to take a moment on this Memorial Day to focus on the individuals behind the numbers and remember they are not just names on a wall. One of those individuals who gave everything he had for us was Marine Captain John J. McKenna IV who was killed on August 16, 2006 during an operation in Fallujah Iraq. The story of John McKenna’s life and death is the story of...

The story of a fallen soldier, a father’s grief, and a hit song By Lee Habeeb It happens now and then. You hear a story so sad, so beautiful, so filled with loss and pain and grief and love, that it makes you cry. Really cry. Two years ago, I was making a grocery run for my family on Memorial Day when a story came on the local NPR station in Oxford, Miss. It was about a father whose son had been killed in action in northwest Afghanistan. The father was Paul Monti; his son was Sergeant Jared Monti. Jared...

Memorial Day is a wonderful constant. Every year, it never ceases to touch me. My family attends an annual parade in Mercer, Pennsylvania. It’s terrific—total old-school. The flags, the courthouse, the kids, the snow-cone stand, the marching bands, and, most of all, the troops from different wars—that is, the survivors who remain with us. Speaking of whom, Memorial Day always brings another constant, a sad one: each new Memorial Day brings less World War II veterans. They are leaving us at a rapid clip. Anyone who entered World War II at age 18 in 1945—the final stretch when someone could...

“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....