Memorial Day roll call honors 148,000 veterans

A P ^ | GILLIAN FLACCUS

[Dubya]

But they are not taken alone. They are taken together — 148,000 names, representing the entire veteran population of Riverside National Cemetery, a roll call of the dead read aloud over 10 days by more than 300 volunteers.

[ari-freedom]

*Salutes*

[Dubya]

“In Flanders Fields”
By Lt. John McCrae of the Canadian Army, 1872-1918

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[SouthTexas]

bump

[unkus]

God bless you Joe.

[unkus]

Attention Korean War Vets: YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!!

[unkus]

Awesome picture! Thanks.

[unkus]

That’s very touching.

[Red_Devil 232]

I hope y'all don't mind a vanity post. 

These are pictures of my Father. USMC - 2nd Marine Division, during WWII. Except for the portrait the others were taken by him or, of him, with his camera. The quality is not the best because they are scanned. He was a Professional Career Marine -25 years. He survived WWII, Korea, and as a civilian advisor to the Laotion Army and Air Force from 1963 to 1973. He was 89 years old when he passed away.

The picture below is of my Father (right) and his younger Brother. I believe it was taken on Tinian, Mariana Islands. His Brother had been wounded and was recovering when they met up for this photo.

This is a picture he took of the Second Marine Division Cemetery on Tinian, Mariana Islands.

I am not sure of the location of this picture of him. It could have been Korea.

 

This is me (right) outside of our main hanger, in front of our sandbag bunker in DaNang 1972. USMC VMFA 232   F4-J Phantoms.

 

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks for posting those photos, RD. It's altogether fitting to honor your late father at Memorial Day. By virtue of his service, we continue to live in freedom.

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[Red_Devil 232]

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.                               Moina Michael

Moina Michael, author of the poem above, wrote this poem in response to "In Flanders Field" and adopted the custom of wearing a red poppy in memory of the sacrifices of war and also as a symbol of keeping the faith.

[Dubya]

Thank you for sharing your memories with us. Great pictures you posted. Your input is always welcome.

[Dubya]

THE REAL HEROES of IWO JIMA

With the increased media attention on the Marines’ history concerning the Chosin Reservoir Action in Korea 54 years ago, I thought this article was most appropriate. After all if we don’t teach children history of our nation, who will? It seems to me that most schools do not have that on their list of priorities. Also, anyone who has visited the Marine Memorial in Washington DC will have a greater appreciation for this story, by a Wisconsinite, which I relay unedited:

Each year I am hired to go to Washington DC with the eighth-grade class from Clinton, WI, where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation’s capital, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall’s trip was especially memorable. On the last night of our trip we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial, which is the largest bronze statue in the world, depicts one of the most famous photographs in history - that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima during WWII.

Over 100 students and chaperons piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, “Where are you guys from?” I told him that we were from Wisconsin. “Hey, I’m a cheesehead too!” he said. “Come gather around, Cheeseheads, and I will tell you a story.” That figure turned out to be James Bradley, who just happened to be in Washington DC to speak at the memorial the following day. Bradley was there that night to say good night to his dad, who has since passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. Now, it is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington DC. But it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.

When all had gathered around he reverently began to speak. Here are his words that night. My name is James Bradley and I’m from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue and I just wrote a book called “Flags of Our Fathers,” which is #5 on the New York Times Best seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me. Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an allstate football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game—a game called “War,” But, it didn’t turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don’t say that to gross you out; I say that because there are generals who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old.

(He pointed to the statue.) You see this next guy? That’s Rene Gagnon, from New Hampshire. If you took Rene’s helmet off at the moment this photo was taken, and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph—a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection, because he was scared. He was 18 years old. Boys won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys. Not old men.

The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the “old man” because he was “so old.” He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn’t say, “Let’s go kill some Japanese” or “Let’s die for our country.” He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, “You do what I say, and I’ll get you home to your mothers.

The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, “You’re a hero.” He told reporters, “How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?” So, you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind.

Ira Hayes died dead drunk, face down at the age of 32, ten years after this picture was taken. The next guy going around the statue is Franklin Sousley, from Hilltop, Kentucky. A fun-lovin’ hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, “Yeah you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn’t get down. Then we fed them Epson salts. Those cows pooped all night.” Yes, he was a fun-lovin’ hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother’s farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. The neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.

The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Kronkite’s producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say, “No, I’m sorry sir, my dad’s not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don’t know when he is coming back.” My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell’s soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn’t want to talk to the press. You see, my dad didn’t see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, ‘cause they are in a photo and a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. in Iwo Jima. He probably held over 200 boys as they died. And, when boys died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed in pain.

When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, “I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. DID NOT COME BACK.”
So that’s the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time.

Suddenly the monument wasn’t just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.

[Dubya]

The Marine’s Prayer

Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and Thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.
Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to ~e duties my Country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions which I must uphold.

If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again.

Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer. Amen.

[Dubya]

THEATER ACRONYMS

­MEF Marine Expeditionary Force
TF Task Force
BCT Brigade Combat Team
BTT Border Transition Team
CF Coalition Forces
ECP Entry Control Point
LOAC Law of Armed conflict
RDF Regional Detention Facility
IP Iraqi Police
ISF Iraqi Security Forces
AIF Anti Iraqi Forces
MSR Main Supply Route
RCT Regimental Combat Team
UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
MTT Military Transition Team
PTT Police Transition Team
CMO Civil Military Operations
TCP Traffic Control Point
EOF Escalation of Force
SA Situational Awareness
IA Iraqi Anny
AQIZ Al Qaeda in Iraq
BIAP Baghdad International Airport
ASR Alternate Supply Route
PRINTED FROM “FOLLOW ME” SECOND MARINE DIVISION PUBLICATION

[Dubya]

AMERICA’S WARS

Revolutionary War- 1775-1784
War of 1812
Mexican-American War- 1846-1848
Civil War- 1861-1865
Spanish American War- 1898-1902
World War I- 1917-1918
World War II- 1941-1945
Korean War- 1950-1953
Vietnam War- 1964-1975
Persian Gulf War I- 1990-1991
Persion Gulf War II (Iraq)- 2003-

[Dubya]

What do the colors of the Flag mean?

Sentimental writers and orators sometimes ascribe meanings to the colors in the flag. The practice is erroneous, as are statements on this subject attributed to George Washington and other founders of the country.

From the book “Our Flag” published in 1989 by the House of Representatives...

“On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a committee to devise a seal for the United States of America. This mission, designed to reflect the Founding Fathers’ beliefs, values, and sovereignty of the new Nation, did not become a reality until June 20, 1782. In heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specific meaning. Even colors have specific meanings. The colors red, white, and blue did not have meanings for The Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 1777. However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings. Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, reporting to Congress on the Seal, stated:

“The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice.”

Also this from a book about the flag published in 1977 by the House of Representatives...

“The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.”

The quote below concerning gold fringe on the Flag is from the book “So Proudly We Hail, The History of the United States Flag” Smithsonian Institute Press 1981, by Wiliam R. Furlong and Byron McCandless. “The placing of a fringe on Our Flag is optional with the person of organization, and no Act of Congress or Executive Order either prohibits the practice, according to the Institute of Hearaldry. Fringe is used on indoor flags only, as fringe on flags on outdoor flags would deteriorate rapidly. The fringe on a Flag is considered and ‘honorable enrichment only’, and its official use by the US Army dates from 1895.. A 1925 Attorney General’s Opinion states: ‘the fringe does not appear to be regarded as an integral part of the Flag, and its presence cannot be said to constitute an unauthorized addition to the design prescribed by statute. An external fringe is to be distinguished from letters, words, or emblematic designs printed or superimposed upon the body of the flag itself. Under law, such additions might be open to objection as unauthorized; but the same is not necessarily true of the fringe.’”

The gold trim is generally used on ceremonial indoor flags that are used for special services and is believed to have been first used in a military setting. It has no specific significance that I have ever run across, and its (gold trim) use is in compliance with applicable flag codes and laws.

[Dubya]

Memorial Day should be observed:

*

by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
*

by visiting memorials.
*

by flying the US Flag at half-staff until noon.
*

by flying the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
*

by participating in a “National Moment of Remembrance”: at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.
*

by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

[Dubya]

FUN

Only in America do we have a General in charge of the post office and a Secretary in charge of defense.

~~~~~

A C-141 cargo plane was preparing for departure from Thule Air Base in Greenland, and they were waiting for the truck to arrive to pump out the aircraft’s sewage holding tank. The Aircraft Commander was in a hurry, the truck was late in arriving, and the Airman performing the job was extremely slow in getting the tank pumped out. When the commander berated the Airman for his slowness and promised punishment, the Airman responded, “Sir, I have no stripes, it is 20 below zero, I’m stationed in Thule, and I am pumping sewage out of airplanes. Just what are you going to do to punish me?”

~~~~~

A corporal needed to use a pay phone, but didn’t have change for a dollar. He saw a private mopping the floors, and asked him, “Soldier, do you have change for a dollar?”
The private replied, “Sure.”
The corporal gave him an icy stare. He said, “That’s no way to address a superior officer! Now let’s try it again. Private, do you have change for a dollar?”
The private replied, “No, SIR!”

~~~~~

A sergeant was passing the barracks after lights out, when he heard some voices from inside. He slammed open the door, and shouted: Listen, you guys! A few minutes ago, you all heard me say good night. What you must realize, is that when I say “Good Night,” what I really mean is “Shut up!!!”
The room instantly fell silent. But after a few seconds, a small voice could be heard from somewhere in the far back of the dark room: “Good Night, Sergeant”

---

I’m desperately trying to figure out why kamikaze pilots wore helmets.

---

As a group of soldiers stood in formation at an Army Base, the Drill Sergeant said, “All right! All you idiots fall out.”
As the rest of the squad wandered away, one soldier remained at attention.
The Drill Instructor walked over until he was eye-to-eye with him, and then raised a single eyebrow. The soldier smiled and said, “Sure was a lot of ‘em, huh, sir?”

[ExSoldier]

Thanks for this. My wife's uncle is still MIA from Korea.

[Jeff Head]

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

God bless & keep all who serve in defense of this Republic & her Constitution...and particularly may He rest all those who have given the last full measure of devotion in that service.

That includes my Uncle Albert Spacil, my mom's only brother & my dear, deceased grandparent's only son. He died in a B-17 over Germany in 1944. God continue to rest his soul until we're all gathered over yonder, across Jordan in our Father's Kingdom.

...and may God grant that we have the strength, courage, conviction, virtue, and faith to stand in our turn against the internal tyranny and marxism that has taken root amongst us and halt its growth in 2010, and then route the vipers out on a rail in 2012!

America has paid the price of freedom in its own blood, both here on our own shores, and abroad throughout the world. From Concord, to Bunker Hill, to Trenton, to Lake Champlain, to Valley Forge, to Cowpens, to Yorktown...to Tripoli...to Ft. Mieg, to Lake Erie, to Horseshoe Bend, to Chippewa and to New Orleans... to The Alamo, San Jacinto, Buena Vista, Palo Alto, Monterrey and the Halls of Montezuma...to Bull Run (twice), Antietam, Fredericksburg, Shiloh, Vicksburg, The Wilderness, Gettysburg, Atlanta and Appomattox...to Manila Bay, Guantanamo Bay, to Santiago and San Juan Hill...to Chateau Thierry and the Argonne Forest...to Pearl Harbor, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, to Normandy, Luxembourg, to islands and atolls throughout the Pacific, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, to the Philippines...throughout Korea...to Granada and Panama…to Kuwait…to Fallujah, the Debecka Pass, Nasiriyah, Haditha, Baghdad, Al Anbar, Mosel, Ramadi and throughout the Sunni Triangle...to Mazari Sharif, to Kabul, to Takur Ghar, to Kandahar, to Tora Bora, to Operation Anaconda and throughout Afghanistan to name but a small few. Americans have shed their blood by the millions for freedom, and that freedom stretches from the United States throughout the world.

Let us never forget it...for should we forget it, or allow our elected representatives to do so (which the current batch of quislings is doing with a will), that is the day that we will place all of our lives and liberty in abject jeopardy.