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."

 

 

 

[mylife]

She was prolly actually receiving intel from the tigers as well

[DarthDilbert]

On this solemn day I remember my friends who have perished over the years for the defense of freedom. When my children ask if I was a hero, I echo the words of my grandfather by saying to them "I wasn't a hero. My friends who died overseas were the heroes."

RLTW

[Just Lori]

That’s beautiful.

[Just Lori]

[STARWISE]

Once To Every Man And Nation

Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ‘twixt that darkness and that light

Must see: extraordinary Memorial Day tribute video to our brave veterans ... from every war ~~ Once To Every Man And Nation

GOD BLESS THE USA

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

Lee Greenwood ~~ God Bless The USA

[cbkaty]

She was an intel officer back in england feeding intel to the flying tigers

She was a wonderful chef, natural comedian, and I bet a tough old bird. We all miss her, her food, and especially her voice.

Dan Aykroyd had her part down to the tee......

[mylife]

A lot of folks poked fun at her over the years!

She was really a giant of sorts. She did have a wonderful sense of humor, and I believe she led a very fulfilling life.

One of my favorite shows that she did was just prior to her death when she did a show on Hamburgers.

The Queen of french cooking doing lowly hamburgers L0L and she was serious!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT.

((HUGS))Good afternoon, Starwise. How's it going?

[potlatch]

[SevenofNine]

OH LORDY anybody remember this???

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1oCF-QFuoYs&feature=related

[SevenofNine]

Hey we all know Godzilla is good daddy LOL!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zzickvq_xJA&feature=related

[mylife]

Go daddy!

[Lady Jag]

Memorial Day

Hopewell, New Jersey, May 2005 It was enough to make us weep, half a dozen veterans of the last great war looking like fading away, followed by the high school band, booming bravely into adulthood. Next a squad in Civil War uniform, harking back to the source of the holiday, a fratricide that seems today almost as if it occurred in another country, not just another century. Then making up in creativity what our town lacks in size a retired Humvee with a small girl in back wearing a grunt style cap and waving mechanically; vintage cars, big ones from a century ago with wooden spokes and other vestiges of their carriage genes, still boxy ones from the 20s, the streamlined 30s, the fishtailed 50s, a couple of Mustangs, an early Corvette; then the fire engines, big and bigger, like armor-plated rhinos, our town’s brigade riding old fashioned red, others yellow, sage green from a well-heeled nearby town; delegations of Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Brownies, one scout troop with a five-piece band trying like twenty-five; a motorcycle club, plenty of paunch and gray hair, and, though some ponytails, suburban angels rather than Hell’s. Finally a platoon of kids all safely helmeted, one tireless on a pogo stick others on scooters and bikes and even a few on tricycles, training for future wars. Richard Greene

[mylife]

Memorial day is an odd thing. Its bitter sweet.
Its bitter in loss and sweet in remembrance.

God Bless America

[Lady Jag]

Nicely said and I heartily agree.

God Bless Them All.

[mylife]

It is a quiet day here on FR and that says a lot.

As I said, Memorial Day is an odd thing

[Lady Jag]

Oh! Sweet America

Next to the Lord I love that land The land of liberty, the jewel of pilgrim's pride. A land; where George Washington fought, A land; where Abraham Lincoln taught Liberty, Justice, and Equality A glorious heaven, Where Japanese maples grow A land, where Irish roses blow A land; where lillies from Africa smile A land of democracy, a beauty without a spot Let the glory fill the sky, let thy freedom sing with joy Let every child happily cry, Oh! sweet America. Lord, ruler of America's mind, Before thy throne we bow our humble head; Bless America with thy infinite grace, Let this nation be the medium of thy mercy; Let this country be an instrument of thy wisdom. In war and in peace let thy mercy serve thy will Let thy might serve for justice, Equality, and Liberty. From the cliffs of the Rockies the lightning's thunder; From the banks of the Mississippi trees and birds twitter. From the shores of Florida to the mountains of Alaska Boys and girls are singing "Victory! Victory! to Thee! Vishnu P. Joshi

[mylife]

Amen

[Kathy in Alaska]

STARWISE.....#450!!
E.....#550!!
my.....#600!!

Thanks, Sonora, for the woohoo!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

I just received an email from the Academy....they are still waiting for their “thank you”. d:o)