FReeper Canteen ~ Memorial Day 2022 ~ 30 May 2022

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

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

The FReeper Canteen Observes ------------------------ Memorial Day 2022 ------------------------

 

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]

MEMORIAL DAY MEMORIES
Kate Smith~God Bless America

Remember The Fallen
They Died For Our Freedom!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Battle of Long Island

And we thank your cousin for his service to our country.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, real saxophonist...God Bless all the fallen.

[The Mayor]

I’ve been good Kathy, warm weather and better pain pills have done great things.
I hope and Pray it stays this way. Saw 3 grands yesterday will see all tomorrow.
Memorial day parade then lunch over at one of the sons houses with family.

Thank you for all you continue to do my FRiend. God Bless you!

[Kathy in Alaska]

God Bless our Troops!

Band of Brothers ~ Hymn To The Fallen

[caww]

[PROCON]

Thanks Kathy!

A Memorial Day Profile of Valor

[caww]

Think of my Dad who died from shrapnal wounds when I was just four - and an Uncle Buried in France. .......Truly brave and Honrable men. I wish often I could have known them growing up.

When a Father dies from war it leaves a huge empty space throughout your life - you only know what a Father is like by watching other fathers with their kids...and that just tells you also you don’t have yours.

I write this because kids are so affected when Dad doesn’t come home.

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.

Love that graphic. One can’t help but smile when they see it.

Another roasty, toasty day there? Pretty warm here and muggy. Kinda hurts after the past two crisp, dry days.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...did you have a Memorial Day event in your area?

It is HOT here, and getting hotter during the week. So far not oppressive enough to turn on my fans; but more watering today.

[lightman]

Thank you for sharing a most painful memory...a pain which endures for a very long time.

[luvie]

Hey there, radu!

I'm guessing that a lot of our vets can relate to that picture. It's one of my favorites.

It was miserable today. The only thing that saved it from being worse was that the humidity was so low that the 104 "felt like" 97. LOL! Not much satisfaction in that, though. Your muggy was probably pretty uncomfortable, too.

Right now the wind is pretty rough...or was when I went out to feed the kitties...and we're under another "RED FLAG WARNING issued until May 30 8:00PM MDT. The risk of wildfires starting is very high. Even vehicle exhaust over grass could start fires. Please do not burn..."

Ugh! Too close for comfort.

[real saxophonist]

Thank you.

Not soliciting, just saying:

https://foldsofhonor.org/

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, caww, on this Memorial Day.

We thank your Dad and your Uncle for their service and sacrifice for our freedom.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, luvie, on this Memorial Day.

[radu]

Hey there, Kathy.

No event today but there is one tomorrow.

I saw in the Lake Hood chat earlier that they’re talkin’ some 80 degree temps up there this week. That’s really hot for y’all. You’ll need the fans for that!

[MoochPooch]

Evening, Kathy. Thank you for honoring their memory.

[radu]

I’d say you’re right about vets being able to relate to it. It’s one of my favorites too.

It’s a good thing your air is so dry. Those temps with humidity are deadly. But the fire hazard you’re dealing with, due to that dry, is awful too. NOAA has had fire weather watch/red flag warning boxes on their map down your way for a while. Not good. We’ve had dry times bad enough to have red flag warnings and with as much grass as we have along the sides of the roads, it’s unnerving. A tossed cigarette or a hot exhaust pipe on a parked car can start things off.

I wish y’all could get some good rainfall. SOON.

[luvie]

I wish we could get some, too, but it’s no where in the forecast. One day it will be. Meanwhile...my latest water bill was $310. Of course, hubby did leave an irrigation tube running for longer than he should, but, even at that it would have been high. Our friend’s was $160 and he doesn’t water as much as we do. Thank God that our water sources, that are about 100 miles from us, HAVE gotten rain. It’s just us.

[radu]

OUCH!!! Your water bill is higher than our electric bill!! They really charge y’all a lot. I have no idea what water rates are around here these days since we’re on a well at the farm but I doubt they’re anywhere near as high as yours.
Must be because they have to get your water from so far away. We’re surrounded by lakes and rivers so water sources are close by.