[redrock]

GARDENS OF STONE.

Take a walk thru any cemetery.....you will find that somewhere in that Hallowed Ground...lies a Veteran...maybe beside his wife (or maybe beside her husband)...maybe with his parents...buried together..til the next world comes.

Maybe..somewhere on the headstone..or grave marker..will be an inscription...."U.S. Army--1943-1945" ...or..."U.S. Navy--1940-1944"...or something telling you that ..one time long ago...this person was caught up in a Great Crusade...to fight evil and to protect his family and his Country.

When you are there...next to that grave...gently clean away the leaves..touch the name and say "Thank You"....

redrock

And if you happen to be in a little cemetery near Roseburg,Oregon....just a little "jump" from the V.A. Hospital there...please walk to the back...and if you come across a small marker in the ground..with a picture of the U.S.S. Yorktown...please touch the stone..and tell my father..that I Miss him.

Thanks Dad.

[redrock]

Memorial Day........

redrock

[ladyinred]

I miss my veteran dad too! It is nice to know that on Monday, the local vets here will place a small American flag on his grave, and every other vet in the cemetary. There will be a special ceremony honoring them, and American flags will line the driveways. I will take roses from my garden, wishing he could see how his daughter has become quite the gardener. He would be so surprised at that, as before I wouldn't so much as pick up a fallen leaf!

Thanks to my dad, and all of the Fathers and Mothers who served, and are now resting from their labors. We honor you, and are ever grateful for your sacrifice.

[Heinz 57]

Thanks Redrock,

My dad was USN WWII vet and he passed as well, I've always honored Memorial Day but even moreso after I served (USAF-Desert Storm).Great article, I thank my dad ...and yours too.

[noutopia]

Thanks redrock!!

[RaceBannon]

While on board the USS Okinawa, LPH-3, we were heading to Guam when one of the boilers needed to be repaired, and the ship came to a stop. We were dead in the water, but still maintained flight quarters.

On Feb 1, 1980, a CH-46 was chained down and turning on Spot 1 on LPH-3 in the western Pacific, spot 2 was launched first.

Rotor wash from spot 2 came up under the a/c on spot 1, the ship started to lift, pilot rammed collective down to keep ship on deck, but ship bounced. A/C was NOT chained down tight enough, and A/C snapped the chains on the port side of the aircraft, flipped over the starboard side of the ship and went in the water on the port side of the aircraft.

Maj Creel is at the top. He broke 2 ribs, one arm and one leg. He was sent back to Hawaii for recuperation.

GySgt O'Hallorn is the red head leaning over, he died in the late 80's in a CH-46.

With his back to us is SSgt Echevarria, later to retire as MSgt Echevarria from HMX-1 in 1992

Being pulled in is either Cpl Kevin Doering or LCpl Leo Beery. One got pulled out earlier, dont remember. Cpl Doering died from Lupus in 1995 or 96. Leo Beery is a designer and salesman of prosthetic devices in Oklahoma.

Lt James Oscar Hensley is still in the aircraft to this day. I think the chart showed the depth there to be about 6000 fathoms or so.

Crash was on Feb 1, 1980. Lt James Oscar Hensley III, North Carolina, Semper Fidelis

[Jim Ralls]

In Memorium:

Captain Thomas J Whalen, USMC, missing in action 26 April 1918, assigned to 1st Marine Division, Belleau Wood, France.

Colonel Stanley M. Whalen, USAF, 17 Jan 1917 - 16 Mar 2003
Rest in peace Dad.

[buffyt]

I went to THE VN Memorial Wall in 1998 while I was in DC for the Freeper Rally. I took my son with me, he was 17 at the time. I went with Gracey. Met 4 or 5 thousand Freepers, had a great time. On Sunday afternoon, Gary and I went to THE WALL. I found the names of two schoolmates I knew who died in Viet Nam. Ricky James and Larry Henshaw of Sapulpa. I made a pencil rubbing of their names. I can still see their beautiful faces when I close my eyes and think of them. Such FINE HANDSOME young men, HEROES!

[Susannah]

I Thank all Soldiers and their Families for the supreme sacrifices that saved and freed so many. This is truly the land of the free and especially THE HOME OF THE BRAVE.

[redrock]

MEMORIAL DAY.....it's NOT about barbecues or drinking beer...

redrock

[dansangel]

God Bless you for putting up these threads and God Bless your father as he rests within the arms of our Lord.

[Militiaman7]

[Incorrigible]

Sun Apr 27, 5:32 PM ET

Tan Patchem, the mother of Marine Cpl. Kemaphoom Chanawongse, is presented a Gold Star Banner by a member of the U.S. Marine Corps after a memorial service for Chanawongse in Waterford, Conn., Sunday, April 27, 2003. Cpl. Chanawongse was killed in battle last month in Iraq (news - web sites). The Gold Star Banner is presented to those who have had family members killed in action. (AP Photo)

 

With the Iraq War, a New Generation of Gold Star Mothers