FReeper Canteen ~ Memorial Day 2008 ~ 26 May 08

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World | StarCMC and GI Joe

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

The FReeper Canteen Observes ------------------------ Memorial Day 2008 ------------------------

 

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  The Soldier's Faith by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.  WWII's Kilroy Was Here Vietnam Memorial - Virtual Wall Elaine's Memorial Day Page  I Love Freedom Memorial Day Links  Memorial Day  Dear American Soldier In Iraq  US Memorial Day - LOTS OF GREAT STUFF!! All POW MIA Memorial Day Page

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

"Kneel Where Our Loves Are Sleeping Words by G.W.R. Music by Mrs. L. Nella Sweet Kneel where our loves are sleeping, Dear ones days gone by, Here we bow in holy reverence, Our bosoms heave the heartfelt sigh. They fell like brave men, true as steel, And pour’d their blood like rain, We feel we owe them all we have, And can but weep and kneel again. CHORUS Kneel where our loves are sleeping, They lost but still were good and true, Our fathers, brothers fell still fighting, We weep, ‘tis all that we can do. VERSE 2: Here we find our noble dead, Their spirits soar’d to him above, Rest they now about his throne, For God is mercy, God is love. Then let us pray that we may live, As pure and good as they have been, That dying we may ask of him, To open the gate and let us in. CHORUS Kneel where our loves are sleeping, They lost but still were good and true, Our fathers, brothers fell still fighting, We weep, ‘tis all that we can do."

 

 

 

[bannie]

My dad was in the Pacific, too. He was in the Navy—navigator. He and Mama are 88.

[AZamericonnie]

A very good evening to you Taz...hope your evening is going well. *Hugs*

[SandRat]

FR is acting weird..

[mylife]

Click on the pic of Chinese Child Soldier Myitkyina Burma

Amazing

[mylife]

Wow FR hiccuped

[mylife]

L0L! Bet he chewed up them North Koreans :)

[mkjessup]

I can't see the pic of your Dad

Really? It's showing up ok for me, I posted it via ImageShack, they might be having server issues and I'm seeing the picture from my browser cache, sorry about that!

Mine was in the Pacific too ... Lost him in '99

The Pacific was a brutal theatre of operations, despite the images of beautiful islands and palm trees and all that, my Dad started off as a Browning Automatic Rifleman, then it was munitions and blasting Japs out of their caves on too many islands to remember, then he ended up as a medical corpsman, a Jap sniper got him in the right arm in late '44 and that sent him home, even though I'm sure he was ready to keep fighting if necessary.

Bless you Friend, and your Dad's memory for his service to our Nation.

[luvie]

Good evening!
The other Ginger (I have forgotten my name! LOL!)
reporting for duty! :D I decided to dress up for a change!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks to your Dad for his service to our country.

[TheMom]

The entire area is amazing & humbling.

Here is the thing that really took my breath away,
the Park Rangers collected everything placed at the Vietman Memorial Wall; they catalogue the item, which panel it was place; what name (if named) the item was dedicated to; and then they place each item in a storage bin.

The Park Ranger I spoke to said they collect items twice a day. And, they do not dismiss any item placed at the panels.

[SandRat]

FR is acting totally weird!!!!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thanks, I hope so, too!
It’s looking like it will be a little unsettled, weather wise.

[mylife]

Woot!

[bannie]

It’s been hickin’ a lot of “ups” for me in the last 20-30 minutes. I thought it was just me.

[Tamar1973]

Hiding? I guess on youtube and/or the Savage Nation Thread mostly. LOL!

[mylife]

No, it definitely fouled up.

[Just Lori]

I remember when it was called “Decoration Day”, but only because my elders grew up calling it that. =)

Today I met an awesome young man who came home from Iraq just last week. I expressed my respect and gratitude to him. Then I gave him a hug.

He thanked me for my appreciation, and then said: “It’s not such a big deal. I was just doing my job.”

I thank God for such young people. There is plenty of hope for this nation, so long as we have such wonderful folks!

[mylife]

Cross yer fingers!

[Tamar1973]

I have a greyhaired Joonbear up.

[Kathy in Alaska]

United States Marine Corps Band~National Anthem