Posted on 03/08/2008 9:08:04 AM PST by do the dhue
MISSION VIEJO Ronnie Guyer summarized Saddleback College's new veterans' memorial when his speech at the college's campus Wednesday turned into song.
"To fallen soldiers let us sing, where no rockets fly nor bullets wing. Our broken brothers let us bring to the mansions of the Lord," he said.
The words come from the hymn "The Mansions of the Lord," written for the 2002 film "We Were Soldiers" and sung at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.
Guyer, who served in the Vietnam War, joined three fellow veterans at Saddleback College for a forum discussing the significance of the new memorial. Following the forum, city and college officials broke ground with the veterans at the memorial site, which is scheduled for completion by Memorial Day this year.
Ehren Terbeek, a student at Saddleback College who completed two tours of duty in Iraq, said the college's memorial was not political, but it was recognition of the contribution veterans have made to the country.
"The veterans' memorial is not about whether you support the ongoing struggle in Iraq, or support the president or not," he said. "It's about those patriotic men and women who for whatever reason join the military. It's for these men and women who make the sacrifices, and who may or may not make it home, that we show support and give thanks."
The concrete and ceramic memorial has been in various stages of development since 2005, when college administrators began considering ways to leave a mark on the city. Saddleback College President Richard McCullough said it was important for the design and production of the memorial to come from within the college.
"We didn't want to bring something in that somebody else built; we wanted to design it ourselves," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
ping
RIGHT ON!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WDrbbtaO0E
A tribute to all the American fallen Soldiers
Thank you for the picture!
Thanks...
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NEVER FORGET
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MEL’s -PASSION- sparked by -WE WERE SOLDIERS-
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085111/posts
http://www.Freerepublic.com/~aloharonnie/
http://www.Freerepublic.com/~anita1/
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NEVER FORGET
BTTT!
Bump to the top!
Well done!
The concept for building the on-campus memorial began on Veterans Day 2004, when a Saddleback College committee made up of veterans and those interested in honoring the men and women who have served their country met to talk about ways to permanently pay homage to the Colleges veterans. Two artists were called on for the task. Fred Olsen and Richard White, Director of the Saddleback College Art Department, were slated to build the memorial, which they will construct on campus by using a fire in place ceramics technique. When finished, the Saddleback College Veterans Memorial will proudly display the first American flag flown over the United States Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City, a gift from Chapter 785 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, which obtained the flag from Pete Peterson, the first U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam and a former Prisoner of War. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saddleback College Foundation 28000 Marguerite Parkway Mission Viejo, CA 92692 (949) 582-4479 Fax: (949) 364-9312 scfound@saddleback.edu
... -BTTT-
Hope to see it on You Tube!
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NEVER FORGET
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HAL G. MOORE: The Legacy & Lessons of an American Warrior
http://www.ArmchairGeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14752
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NEVER FORGET
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NEVER FORGET
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..”JOURNEY from the FALL.. MoviePremieres = Fall of Saigon CLARITY..
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1806248/posts
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NEVER FORGET
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One of the singular joys in speaking with my fellow War Veterans at events such as this Veterans Memorial Ceremony, is just that ..speaking along side such American Heroes. Speakers like Pearl Harbor Survivor JACK HAMMETT, and Battle of the Bulge Infantryman FRED WHITTAKER.
All members of the Freedom Committee of Orange County, California:
http://www.fc-oc.org/speakers.htm
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For me, the highlight of PBS-TV’s recent sterling ‘THE WAR’ TV Series is the telling the story of Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, and fellow Freedom Committee of Orange County Member, WALTER ELHERS. While fighting to get off Normandy’s Omaha Beach, he was also losing his own brother that same day on an adjacent beach.
WALTER ELHERS’ humble response to this tragedy of war was:
“I’d rather come home without legs, than to come home without my brother.”
See WALTER ELHERS Photos taken at our January 8th, 2008 Freedom Committee Meeting:
http://www.fc-oc.org (See Photo Collection)
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For...
...we all must NEVER ever FORGET..!!
And thanks again for your service. It is an honor to know one such as you.
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