A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-11,12,13-05....Veterans Day ~ Honoring Veterans Everywhere

Billie

[Billie]

In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, became the focal point of reverence for America's veterans.

Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation's highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as "Armistice Day".

Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holidiay 12 years later by similar Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that World War I was "the War to end all Wars," November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. But only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Europe. Sixteen and one-half million Americans took part. Four hundred seven thousand of them died in service, more than 292,000 in battle.

Realizing that peace was equally preserved by veterans of WW II and Korea, Congress was requested to make this day an occasion to honor those who have served America in all wars. In 1954 President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day.

We as Americas owe much to the brave men and women who have fought to preserve our freedom, and though we are thankful every day for their sacrifice, two special days have been set aside to honor them each year:

• Memorial Day honors the American Military who have died in their service for the country.
  
  
• Veterans Day is to appreciate all who have served their country, both alive and dead.

A law passed in 1968 changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date.

Every year the President of the United States urges All Americans to honor the commitment of our Veterans through appropriate public ceremonies. The focal point for official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day continues to be the memorial amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Unknowns. At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard representing all military services executes "Present Arms" at the tomb. The nation's tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath. The bugler plays "Taps." The rest of the ceremony takes place in the amphitheater.

God Bless our veterans on this day and all others. We owe you our gratitude and our respect, for without you America would not be the strong and free country we know and love.

09-27-05 ~ Hall of Fame #13

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 11-07-05 Military Monday 11-08,09-05 A "Left" Fantasy ~ Kerry Won! 11-10-05 Smithsonian Bling Blings

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[DollyCali]

Hmmmm, I haven't noticed it being slower.

That is because I am behaving billie!!!!

you know what I mean?

[luvie]

Well, I just cleared out some temp. files and that seems to have helped.

[Billie]

If you do the math it's 4000 gold stars for the more than 400,000 killed!

I know - it's mind-boggling the numbers killed in that war alone. I believe there were almost 10,000 (US and allies) killed in ONE DAY. (June 6, 1944 - D Day - Normandy)

[Billie]

That is because I am behaving, billie!!!! you know what I mean?

LOL! Yes, I know what you mean, and THANK YOU! I appreciate it! :)

Thanks for the pictures of your military family!!!

[Billie]

Well, I just cleared out some temp. files and that seems to have helped.

Good! Amazing how much junk piles up! I usually try to delete temp files often, and only save one day of *history* files.

[Billie]

Taking a break for lunch....back later.

[luvie]

I usually do to, but had let it get away from me.

And only keep the current history.

Bye for now...see ya later.

[DollyCali]

Cigar Guy Update

Hello Dolly,

It's been a while since our last correspondence. I wanted to share a wonderful thing that has taken place. Nick was officially notified that he has been awarded the Silver Star. I know you would appreciate that news. He is at the top of his class and is doing well. We are in the process of getting him a Guide dog, probably a retriever like the one in your pictures. Having a Guide dog with give him back so much more independence. He has a hard time at night because the 8% remaining vision is totally diminished. I can't wait for the day when I can see this great big Marine, jogging down by the beach with a Guide dog.

Nick will be in a book sometime around Christmas, honoring the sacrifices of our American military families. Also in the book will be a father of a fallen soldier who I hear from the people at the book was on CNN a few times. They say he is a testament to the strength and loyalty to our country.

I will keep you updated as to when it will be out. I hope you are doing well. We haven't visited Free republic for a while, I will make sure to log in and see what has been happening.

Best wishes,
April Popaditch

received in email yesterday from April (Nick/Cigar Guy's wife). check out the Memorial Day thread featuring Ceegar Guy AKA Nick & others

Memorial Day Ceegar Guy Thread

[null and void]

Thanks!

[jwfiv]

A beautiful tribute to our veterans on this special day ... thank you, Billie ... you've outdone yourself once again.

I don't know if I've ever been so grateful and proud to be an American as I am today.

[Cboldt]

Cigar Guy Update

-bump-

[null and void]

Big week for my dad. 79th birthday Wednesday, 230th birthday of his beloved Marine Corps Thursday, and now Veteran's Day. He was in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam...

[dixie sass]

I do so pledge!

[prairiebreeze]

Hero bump!

[DollyCali]

Hugs, love and thanks to your dad nully.. hope things are well for you & yours!

[DollyCali]

Today is Veterans Day. It is appropriate that 11 November also commemorates the signing of the Mayflower Compact in 1620. That simple document, after all, is the taproot of a great nation; a shining beacon of liberty which owes its very existence to American veterans.

The Defense Department recently presented us with a staggering bill for our cherished freedom: Since the American Revolution, nearly 1.2-million members of our fighting forces have died while in service to our country. Not to be forgotten are the 1.4 million who were wounded during that time. The numbers, of course, offer no reckoning of the inestimable value of these Patriots' lives or the sacrifices borne by their families, but we do know that their sacrifices defended a most precious gift—a gift of liberty that we cherish to this day.

On 11 November 1921, an unknown American soldier from World War I was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in recognition of WWI veterans and in conjunction with the cessation of hostilities at 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This was President Warren Harding's request: "All... citizens... indulge in a period of silent thanks to God for these... valorous lives and of supplication for His Divine mercy... on our beloved country."

Inscribed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are the words, "Here lies in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." That day was known as Armistice Day until 1954, when Congress, wanting to recognize the sacrifice of veterans since WWI, proposed to name it Veterans Day. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, former Supreme Commander in WWII, signed the legislation.

[DollyCali]

"Today our nation pays tribute to our veterans—25 million vets... At this hour, a new generation of Americans is defending our flag and our freedom in the first war of this century. This war came to our shores on the morning of September 11, 2001...We know that they want to strike again and our nation has made a clear choice. We will confront this mortal danger to all humanity. We will not tire or rest until the War on Terror is won... [I]t is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began... We will never back down. We will never give in. We will never accept anything less than complete victory." — President George W. Bush

[Victoria Delsoul]

Wonderful tribute, Billie. Thank you.

Happy Veterans Day, everybody.

Never Forget

We've lined their boots all in a row,
And amongst them stand,
The saddest scene I'll ever know,
Goodbye dear friend, goodbye!
Through mud and rain and battle blows,
We cried cursed prayers,
On blood-soaked clothes;
Please stay we begged, please stay!
There is a time that soldiers know,
When so many die,
That the pain and woe,
Is too much for the mind to hold;
Roll on you drums, roll on!
A band of brothers stand in their rows;
The empty boots still,
Where a life did grow,
Our friends have gone, no more to know;
Remember them always, remember!

~ William Temple

[Aquamarine]

This is an excerpt of a speech given by John Ashcroft recently. Just wish he was the President's speechwriter and could help him to get this message expressed better than it has been.

"I seize this opportunity of being with you today with a view toward making sure we clarify what we can do to build a future that defends and enriches all of the citizens with whom we live in this community we call America.

The first point that I would like to make about leaders is that leaders are learners. When circumstances present themselves to us, we have the opportunity to learn from them, to adapt as a result of what's happened, of what we've learned in the circumstance. If not we'll be condemned to repeat history.

I've spent alot of time in state government [In Missouri]. I served a couple of years as a state auditor, eight years as state attorney general and eight years as state governor. When I was called to Washington during my state service, it became a habit of mine - because I'm not what you call an "entertainment-intense" person - to walk among the monuments during the evenings. I reacquainted myself with the very principles that I believed were structural factors undergirding the fabric of American life. Two months ago I recreated that walk through the monuments with some of my colleagues from the Justice Department. We must have had 50 or so department employee and another 25 children ... on a rather chilly, but inspiring evening.

One monument that did not exist during my visits as a state attorney general was the World War II Memorial. As families and members of the Justice department approached it, as I was taken with what I consider a very beautiful monument. It reminded me of the tremendous cost of defending liberty. Freedom is never free. It is always costly. Some historians believe the cost of World war II to equal at least 50 million lives.

During the same visit to the World War II Memorial, I remembered having been in London weeks earlier and going underground to a bunker where Winston Churchill directed the resistance. I remembered reading in Churchill's biography about how long he pled with England and the rest of the world to become alert to the menace of Hitler. How insensitive world leaders were to his warnings until we found 50 million casualties being consumed in confronting tyranny in a time that could only be defined in historical perspective as "too late" - at least for 50 million souls.

On a wall in the World War II Memorial are 4,000 gold and bronze stars. It's as if the blue field of our flag had been replicated again and again; but instead of 50 stars, there are 4,000. Each of them represents 100 American lives lost in World War II. Four hundred thousand lives lost in defense of freedom - a noble cause - but lost, in a significant measure, because we were too late.

I thought to myself, "You know, there really are only two times to defend freedom". Once is when it's too early. People criticize you for going in advance. It wasn't long before people began to criticize this administration for going too early into Iraq. But we were criticized for not going into Afghanistan soon enough. We were too late. Over 3,000 lives had already been lost in New York, Virginia and a field in Pennsylvania.

I was stunned by these thoughts as I looked at the stars on the wall of the World War II Memorial. I called the 50 or so Justice employees and their families and said, "I just want to make one comment to you. You can defend freedom too early or too late but be criticized in both instances. But if you have to keep score as to who is in favor of defending it too early or too late, mark me down for being too early. There are too many stars on this wall".

If we look at the current challenges that America faces, look to the President of the United States who has decided we will not be late again. The defense of freedom always requires a sense of vision."....

[dixie sass]

Darn screen is blurry.