USO Canteen FReeper Style....Memorial Day....May 27,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day to remember those who have died in our nation's service. In 1971, it was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday in May.

A day when we remember those heroes who have suffered and perished so that we can live and stay secure.

Those souls who were just like us in every way, except that we did things for people we knew.

They fought for us, whom they didn't even know.

Memorial Day gives us the opportunity to show our respect and to pay our tribute to those great soldiers, and we have made an attempt to do the same.

Memorial Day 2002 Message from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

“Across our great land, thousands of American flags, proudly waving, mark the final resting place of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and merchant mariners who had their lives cut short so that we may live freely and enjoy the blessings of liberty

Memorial Day is the one day of the year that we set aside to remember and honor our country's patriots, yet we owe them a debt of gratitude, every day of every year.

This Memorial Day finds our Nation at war -- a war we did not seek, but one we will decisively win. However, our victory will not come without its costs.

Once again, we are witnesses to America's sons and daughters being brought home, solemnly and respectfully, in flag-draped coffins. They join those who lost their lives in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

We are deeply saddened by their deaths, but eternally grateful for their sacrifice. It remains our challenge to do our very best to remain true to the principles and beliefs in which they so fervently believed and which they so valiantly fought to preserve. Their loved ones who carry on remain in our thoughts and prayers.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff and I join every American this Memorial Day, to pause and reflect upon the sacrifices made by so many of our fellow citizens in times of war and conflict throughout our Nation's history. We also salute the dedicated men and women of today's Armed Forces, whether defending our homeland or serving around the world.

They are preserving and adding to this noble legacy.

Gen. Richard B. Myers, USAF

"Tell them, tell them when you get home that I gave all of my tomorrow's so they could have today!"

Those are the words on a tombstone, far across the Pacific, of someone who gave up his life for our future.

Were those words uttered so that those of us who are left could just enjoy our lives without "getting involved", or were they written to remind us that the work of freedom and liberty is never done?

Were those words written ,to suggest to us that it is not our job nor our responsibility to keep alive what they fought and died for, or were they written to remind us that we were given the opportunity of life so that we would continue to defend, and keep alive the memory of what they gave their last full measure for?

Let us here today, tonight, tomorrow, next month and next year - remember these gallant defenders of our freedom.

Most were not heroes as defined by the most hallowed Medal of Honor nor even as defined by the silver or bronze star.

They were ALL Heroes

Yes they were heroes, because without hesitation they fought for our country when they were asked to defend her.

Most didn't die throwing themselves on a hand grenade, charging a bunker or manning a machine gun until their ammunition was gone.
Most didn't die diving their airplane into an enemy ship or marching in the infamous Bataan Death march -- but they are heroes because they fought when asked to fight.

They left their families, friends and good times behind and went to fight for our freedom without hesitation.

Some -- never even fired their weapons because they were killed before they ever reached the beach.

But they were heroes because they were there, ready to fight for America - for family, flag and country.

Most were scared to death as they prepared to meet the enemy. Their stomachs were turned upside down and they prayed to God and wished they were with their moms, dads and sweethearts rather than being where they were.

But they were where they were, fighting an enemy that was threatening their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
They were fighting an enemy because they believed in America, they loved Her flag and they wanted to protect American's right to worship as they chose.
They were there, without hesitation, fighting for what they believed in and dying for what they believed in so you and I could live the way we chose in a free country. But they did not die so that we would stop fighting for what they believed and died for.

They fought and died knowing that we, the living, would go on fighting for that same freedom, that same country, that same flag and for that same right to worship as we choose. Abraham Lincoln, at Gettysburg, said:

"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth."

It is for us the living to go on defending what they died for.
It is for us the living not to allow history to forget what they gave up all their tomorrow's for.

If when we attacked Guadalcanal and landed at Salerno, we found that "they" were going to fight back, we didn't give up because they fought back. We continued to fight because we knew our cause was right!

When Americans rode in the landing craft before storming the beaches at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Sicily, Anzio, Normandy, Peleliu, Saipan, Iowa Jima, Okinawa, Inchon and many other places we had never heard of before and when they fought in North Africa, the Philippines, Italy, France, Bastonne, Germany, Korea and Vietnam -- most were scared to death; their stomachs were turned upside down and they wanted to be back home with their loved ones.

But that did not stop them from attacking America's enemies bravely and without hesitation. They fought, and many died, but they did not give up because someone shot back at them.

It is for us the living to continue to defend and keep known what they fought and died for -- what they gave up all of their tomorrow's for.

They did not die so that we could become complacent; nor did they die so that when we, the living, reached a single obstacle --- we should quit

They died knowing that we would go on defending their actions, defending history and defending what they gave up all their tomorrow's for.

If WE don't remember ---if WE don't defend what they fought and died for and what we fought for -- who will remember? Who will care?

How many of them and you who fought for our flag and our country and remember the feeling as Old Glory" was being raised over a piece of land we fought for ---- and many died for?

How many remember seeing or hearing about our valiant warriors, who were fighting on Iowa Jima, as they stood and cheered when they saw the flag being raised over Mt. Suribachi.

From AFVetGal The president has called for a "National Moment of Remembrance" at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day with a one-minute pause to remember those fallen in service to the country.

[ofMagog]

Monday May 27 at 2300 with 39F
South of Dunedin,New Zealand
Almost Tuesday here.

"Then good night, peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright,
God is near, do not fear -- Friend, good night."

Regards to all.

[Movemout]

My Grandma, still alive in her 90s, calls it Remembrance Day. Today I salute all my fellow warriors who have ever fallen in defense of the Republic. I remain in awe of your sacrifices and envy you the many blessings bestowed upon you by man and God.

[Joe Brower]

[DoughtyOne]

From the early days of our nation men have fought and died for the ideals that made this nation great.  Men and women are defending them at this moment.  Those who have fallen, and those who still serve deserve our heartfelt thanks.  But more than that, they deserve to have those ideals defended at home, the loss of their lives and the blood, sweat and hard fought victories never to have gone in vane.

Will we surrender those ideals?  Will we relinquish our God given rights?  Will we hand over the keys to our nation to foreign nationals and leaders too morally bankrupt to grasp the enormity of what they are doing?  I hope not. For those who have gone before, I certainly hope not.  And for all those to come, I hope it even more.

That is my heartfelt Memorial Day wish for our fallen men.  It is that this nation will return to the values and ideals they fought and died for.  Is there any honor greater than this, that we could give them?  Is there any more of a moral debt that we could owe them?

[MeekOneGOP]

At Memorial, Sgt. Gene Vance Jr. Honored
for Service to State, Nation
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/690109/posts

Excerpt:

In remembrance of a fallen hero, may his family have strength to endure the tough times ahead. He postponed his honeymoon to serve his country and protect us. God bless him and his loved ones.

Lisa Vance (left) widow of Sgt. Gene Vance Jr.,
who was killed May 19 while on patrol in eastern
Afghanistan, embraces a West Virginia state flag
presented to her during a public memorial service
Sunday in Morgantown. At right is Sgt. Vance's mother,
June Vance of North Carolina.

Audio: For The Fallen Soldiers

[usmcobra]

Oh, I've slipped the surely bonds of earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades;
Earthward I've auto'ed and met the rising brush of Non-paved terrain;
And done a thousand things you would never care to
Skidded and dropped and flared Low in the heat soaked roar.
Confined there, I've chased the earthbound traffic And lost the race to insignificant Headwinds;
Forward and up a little in ground effect I've topped the General's hedge with drooping turns
Where never Skyhawk or even Phantom flew.
Shaking and pulling collective,
I've lumbered The low untresspassed halls of victor airways,
Put out my hand and touched a tree.

~~MEMO to self:
all right now the font color is green
How do you turn it off
and do you really want to?~~

[g'nad]

Thanks FRiends, for the awesome Memorial Day posts... I'm heading out to Quantico National Cemetary this morning... got a few old friends I gotta go see...

[Vigilantcitizen]

Thanks for the ping, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub.

Sorry I haven't visited lately Snow Bunny, but we've been working massive overtime again.

Just wanted to stop by and pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and liberty.

May the Lord bless their souls.

[Aeronaut]

The origin of "Taps." (It's long, that's why the link.)

[lodwick]

Thanks so much. Have a great day everyone. God bless you all.

[Pippin]

Good Morning! Glad to see you back up! 4TheFlag told me that there is a virus going around among especially the FReepers who come to the Canteen. A scary thought! I hate to bring this up, but isn't it sort of a form of cyber-terrorism? I pray it's not that and I'm just being paraniod. But someone out there is trying to sabotage this wonderful thread. Maybe it's the Demo's or the terrorists, no matter, we cannot let them destroy this thread. It's for our troops and for the veterans. I hope you have a blessed Memorial Day, and remember those who gave their lives so that we have the freedom to post on such a thread. Thank You Heroes!

[tomkow6]

I know ther term is over-used now-a-days, but this time it fits like a glove:

TOTALLY AWESOME!

Thank you!

[tomkow6]

Good morning, Snow! Good morning, all!

Lest we forget our fallen 4-legged heros:

[leadpenny]

Good Morning on a beautiful day of rememberance and of memories. To all those serving today, Thank You.

My thoughts are always reflected in a poem by Lawrence Binyon:

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them...nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them!

[tomkow6]

I remember a fellow high school classmate; now, also, a brother & fallen hero:

[MeekOneGOP]

"A Memorial Day Prayer"
http://www.talltexian.com/TALLTEXIANsInspirationalToo/id18.htm

They served and fought and died
so that we might be safe and free,
Grant them O Lord, eternal peace
and give them "The Victory!"
And in these days of unrest,
filled with grave uncertainty
Let's not forget the price they paid
to keep our country free...
And so, on this Memorial Day,
we offer up a prayer-
May the people of all nations
be united in Thy care...
For earth's peace and man's salvation
can come only by Thy grace
And not through bombs and missiles
and our quest for outer space...
For until all men recognize that the
battle is the Lord's
and peace on earth cannot be won
with strategy and swords,
We will go on vainly fighting,
as we have in ages past,
Finding only empty victories
and a peace that cannot last...
But we've grown so rich and mighty
and so arrogantly strong,
We no longer ask in humbleness-
"God show us where we're wrong."
We have come to trust completely
in the power of man-made things,
Unmindful of God's mighty power
and that "He is King of Kings"...

We have turned our eyes away from Him
to go our selfish way,
and money, power & pleasure
are the gods we serve today...
And the good green earth God gave us
to peacefully enjoy,
Through greed and fear and hatred
we are seeking to destroy....
Oh, Father, up in heaven,
stir and wake our sleeping souls,
Renew our faith and lift us up
and give us higher goals,
And grant us heavenly guidance
as war threatens us again
For more than guided missles
all the world needs guided men.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Lest we forget our fallen 4-legged heros:

Bump for man's best friend...

[Vigilantcitizen]

Question for for my more "cyber experienced" Freepers...

Does anyone know a good online source for finding information on people that served in WW2. I would love to find and talk to someone that served with my Granddad.

I have tried google, but to no avail...

Thanks,

Kermit

[csvset]

I recently had an appointment at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and had some time to fill so I visited the cemetery on the hospital grounds. Here's a short article about the history of PNH.

The making of Portsmouth naval hospital

The Portsmouth Naval hospital

Read more about local history

To finance the construction of the naval hospital in Portsmouth, the pay of every seaman, officer and marine was docked 20 cents a month in 1826. Money collected from disciplinary fines was also used to erect the four-story granite structure that admitted its first patient in 1830.

Today, the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth — which recently underwent a $330-million expansion — is the oldest continuously running hospital in the Navy. It serves the Navy family — active duty personnel, dependents and retirees — of Hampton Roads.

The original building, designed by Philadelphia architect John Haviland, was erected on the site of Fort Nelson, a coastal defense built by the colonists but captured in 1779 by the British. Bricks from the old fort were used in building the hospital.

Haviland’s design called for a Doric portico of 10 columns, and they still stand today and have long been considered the "grand ornament" of the harbor and a masterpiece of monumentality in the classical form. The portico was kept in place although the 1830 structure was rebuilt and modernized in 1909.

Hospital facilities were greatly expanded at the outset of World Wars I and II. The high-rise hospital building was completed in 1960.

The hospital received its first combat casualty patients during the Mexican War. In 1855, the staff treated nearly 600 civilians during the yellow fever epidemic during which nearly 10 percent of the population of Norfolk and Portsmouth died. During the Civil War, it was a Confederate hospital until 1862, and after that, a Union hospital. The Navy’s first hospital ship, the Solace, brought the wounded from the Spanish-American War to Portsmouth. Influenza patients taxed hospital facilities during the First World War. Combat wounded from Europe, the Pacific, Korea and Vietnam were treated there.

A few people who died at the hospital are buried in a national cemetery on the hospital compound at Hospital Point. The oldest gravestone is that of a sailor who died in 1838 after falling from a yardarm of Old Ironsides, the frigate Constitution.

[wattsmag2]

Morning Madame Bunny.