FReeper Canteen ~ MEMORIAL DAY 2021 ~ 31 May 2021

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

The FReeper Canteen Observes ------------------------ Memorial Day 2021 ------------------------

 

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

 

 

 

 

[luvie]

Yep...it always finds a way to miss us. LOL! Oh, well, there are more chances this week, with any luck.

Sorry you have all that humidity. It kind of messes up the coolness of the air, although not as much as if it were in the 90s. That’s really a steam bath! Ugh.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Silentgypsy...and thank you for the prayers for our fallen heroes.

[radu]

Good to hear you have some chances for rain this week. I hope you get lucky.

I’ll take the humidity over desert dry any day. We have a lot of green and other color because of it. :-)

Gotta head out for the night. Early morning tomorrow. The Republican women’s group is serving refreshments at the Memorial Day ceremony tomorrow and since the museum won’t be open, I’m able to participate this year.

Hope you have a good day tomorrow.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, my, and thanks for the tunes.

[luvie]

I’d love something sort of in the middle of soaking wet and bone dry, but guess we’ll take what we get. :)

Nite! Enjoy your time with the R women. We won’t be doing much of anything...just thinking of the fallen heroes with the Canteen.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening/morning, lightman...thank you for sharing this line from Kontakioon of Pascha.

So fitting for this Memorial Day...

[Kathy in Alaska]

“Trying” to break through is the key...not really happening.

Finished my shopping/gas chores today. I’m in til Thursday.

Have a great day with the R ladies on Memorial Day.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Memorial Day morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

We honor those who died on the battlefields for the freedoms that we enjoy today.

How's everyone doing this morning?

[beachn4fun]

[left that other site]

The rain has been unrelenting here. Blue is sitting under her soggy cover, but it’s too wet and cold to go anywhere.

My parents are buried in the Bourne National Cemetery, but it is only accessible via one road which was packed with cars as far as my own community, a good thirty MILES away.

One. Long. Line. Of. Cars.

Thirty Miles Long.

In the Rain.

[xzins]

Strongly biblucal. Thx

[luvie]

WE HAD RAIN!!
Lot's of healing rain.
There is a car stuck in that river right now. LOL!
It rained so hard you could see nothing.
Still raining slowly.
Can you tell I'm excited?
The kitties...not so much. LOL!
I'm running late because the power went off. Oops!
Anyhooooo....Y'all have a Mahv'lus Monday!
Remember the fallen ones 🇺🇸
BTW....Did You Feel It, Kathy?
It was a big 'un!
((((hugs))))

[radu]

It was a very nice ceremony and the turnout was great this year.
Aaaaaaaaaand, I forgot to grab the camera on the way out the door. *siiiiiiiigh* The ol’ pea brain isn’t firing on all cylinders that early in the morning. LOL

[radu]

It looks like the clouds finally gave up and let the sun shine for a while up there today. It looks about the same here this afternoon and it appears we both have stiff breezes too.

That was quite a shaker y’all had last night. If I hadn’t had to go to bed early, I’d have seen it ‘live’ on the Lake Hood cam because I always have that up in another Window. I got to see it this afternoon since it was still within the 12-hour timeframe of the stream. That was a loooooooong quake. *shudder*

[radu]

YAY!!!! Glad you finally got a GOOD rain over there! You certainly needed it. And there might be a little more before the day’s over.

That was a big quake they had in AK. Shook the Lake Hood cam hard. I was asleep when it hit but got to see it this afternoon.

[caww]

Remembering....my Dad...and all our great Heroes

who gave their life for our Freedom...