Memorial Day Tribute

[Phyllis]

In honor of all our armed forces with prayers that they are all home soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvtQzZmdX-E

 

[geebee]

Phyllis,

Thanks for this great link.

I would like to alter Memorial Day a little and pay tribute, not only to those who have lost their lives, but those serving as well. Sending my love to all those serving today, all who have served in the past, and both my parents and my SO Chris' father who were all in the Navy during WWII. All three are deceased now and I like to think they are with their buddies who did not make it back from the war.

I am reminded of a quote that no longer applies today but the sentiment is still alive:

"Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a world where Bob Hope could be home for Christmas?"

GodBless the USA and her wonderful protectors.

 

[Ross]

Another very good clip. There are so many this year that it's hard to post them all, but post em if you find them please.

 

[Mary]

In memory of all who have died for our country and for those who are serving,

 

[weekycat]

My mother just sent an email with this pic on it...

My mother just sent an email with this pic on it...

And actually, my husband has this t-shirt. We also sent one to my niece while she was in Iraq. She wears it for a night-shirt.

This is what the email said:

Whether you believe in the war or not these are still our boy and girls over there...


Prayer Request

I understand that life in Iraq is very difficult to bear right now. Our troops need our prayers for strength, endurance and safety.

Send this on after a short prayer; please don't break it:

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen."

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world. There's nothing attached; just send this to all in your address book. Do not let it stop with you, please. Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best!!!

Thank you.

I didn't send it to anyone via email, but I will pass it along to all of you.

 

[OldManEmu]

Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Not being from the USA I am not sure what date is memorial day.
I know it is the date the US remembers its war dead however I am not sure why the particular day was chosen. I hope someone can advise me the date and why it was chosen. The first large international war the US was involved in was WW1 and Armistice Day was 11/11/1918, I am not sure if this is significant in the US. Australia is strange it remembers the war dead on 25 April; it must be the only country that remembers on a day that was the start of a great military defeat.

 

[Phyllis]

Not being from the USA I am not sure what date is memorial day.
I know it is the date the US remembers its war dead however I am not sure why the particular day was chosen. I hope someone can advise me the date and why it was chosen. The first large international war the US was involved in was WW1 and Armistice Day was 11/11/1918, I am not shaw if this is significant in the US. Australia is strange it remembers the war dead on 25 April; it must be the only country that remembers on a day that was the start of a great military defeat.

Thanks for the question and hope this clears up the answer:

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 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.

General John A. Logan
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]

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.

 

[Christina]

God Bless America!

God Bless America!

Our son in-law came home on leave for two weeks Friday day evening and we couldn't be happier that he's here. He just called and sounds terrific. God willing he'll be home in January for good.
Please do something nice for a soldier and pay for his meal when you see him in a restaurant.
Fly the flag this weekend in honor of our vets. As a matter of fact, fly your flag each and every day. That's what I do. I just bought a new flag as the old one got too beaten up by the wind.

God Bless America!

 

[dan1961]

bless them all....x

bless them all....x

i too would like to express my thanks and send my wishes and thoughts to those and to thier families who have given the ultimate sacrifice whilst serving thier country ..bless them all.
im from england and our memorial day is november 11th .. we call it poppy day.
my son age 22 is on tour at the moment in basrah.. and due to come home september.
his 3rd tour in as many years.....god bless america and god save our queen...x

 

[Jan]

Hi Dan

Gob Bless your son, and keep him safe.

I also live in the UK and at times I am ashamed that we do not treat the serving soldiers with the respect they deserve,our American friends really seem to care about the serving soldiers.

Bill and I were in Florida when the first US troops were sent to Irac and we went to Daytona airport to see the guys shipping out it was very moving

May God Bless them all and bring them home safe

Jan