Happy Memorial Day Weekend 2019

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cwbullet

cwbullet

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I hope everyone has a great weekend, but as you head off the rocket launches, picnics, or family gatherings, think about what this weekend is about. It is more than just a day off.

Some facts about memorial day and the history behind it: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history

Memorial Day and Veterans Day are both patriotic holidays honoring the military, but there is a significant difference between the two. Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the military. This solemn occasion is a time to reflect on the patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting and defending the country they deeply loved. Veterans Day recognizes all who have served in the Armed Forces.

What is the proper way to acknowledge each holiday? On Memorial Day, you can honor the fallen by attending memorial services within your community or laying flowers. and planting flags on graves at your local Veterans cemetery. I grew up participating in our local parade and putting flowers on the graves at the National Cemetary in Grafton, WV. Veterans Day is an opportunity to do the same, but it is also an appropriate time to show your appreciation to Veteran friends and their family. You can also recognize Veterans Day by flying the American flag outside your home, visiting or volunteering at a Veteran facility, attending a local event, and, of course, thanking Veterans and their families for their service.

I will spend this Monday thinking of those that have given the ultimate sacrifice in combat. Some of them were my friends and colleagues and others blazed the path that has made our country what it is today.

You do not have to wait for a national holiday to show your gratitude to Servicemembers or to remember those that are no longer with us. Any day is a good day to support Veterans either through a charity or giving a heartfelt “thank you” to those who served.
 
Great Note. For any of you traveling through JFK and jetBlue's terminal 5, there's a static display that is pretty powerful and caused me to stop and pause to reflect.
 
Thanks for the reminder CW!
I'll be remembering:
My Father Terry, WWII Pacific Theater Marine, Wounded, Survived, Pasted at 82.
My Uncle John (my name sake), WWII European Theater Army, Wounded, Captured, POW camp in Germany. Pasted of Age.
My Uncle Alfred, (brother to John), Army, Korean Vet, 2 tours. Returned home safely, Pasted at 42, Heavy non-filter cigarette smoker.
My Nephew Douglas, Army, Afghanistan Vet, 2 Tours, South Korea, 1 tour. Home safely and is now in college.
My Uncle Chuck, (Mother's Sister's Husband) Pacific Theater Navy Vet. Wounded Twice, Survived, Pasted of age.

Thank Each and Every member of ALL Branches of Service, For You Service and Your Sacrifice's.
 
cwbullet said:
To those not in the military, this scene brings tears to many a veteran’s eyes. Every social requirement in the military usually starts with acknowledgement of the “missing man table”. It chokes me up now thinking of the fallen.
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You are so right. As a veteran, looking at that empty table and remembering the individually the patriots who didn't make it back from my deployments is especially hard hitting. Even though it was 1am (not an a-typical jetblue flight, but it was on-time) and I was dead on my feet from a string of long days, that table stopped me dead in my tracks. I wasn't expecting to see it and this rush of emotions came over me all at once from all those years ago. We must never forget or trivialize their sacrifices.
 
015D543B-6245-4715-98F6-23596381EF29.jpeg
Another trip down memory lane: I remember bring a part of many ramp ceremonies loading fallen on their trip home or sitting in the chapel looking at their helmet, boots, and M-16.
 
Spend the day setting up pads for Freedom Launch. I am thinking about a moment of Silence Monday.
 
42215D72-2148-42C5-AA04-51EC5819B094.jpeg

I am driving down a street to Freedom Launch. The street in Camden (SC) is lined with flags. A small reminder of those that have given so much so we can live.
 
A little infographic I found that provides magnitude to the sacrifices:

memorial-dayinfographic.jpg
It was originally posted on the Huffington Post.

The sad fact is that only 55% of Americans today know why we even have Memorial Day and less than 1 in 4 have put a flag or flowers on the grave of a friend of loved one that has died in service of this country.
 
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Bat-mite said:
Sad that it has become a day of shopping, baseball and barbecue.
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I agree. When I was young it was a more solemn date of remembrance. I think that the decision to make it a Monday holiday, a convenient part of a three day weekend rather than a solitary and solemn date, made a real difference in how it’s viewed by many. Of course there are also far fewer people now who remember WWII.
 
While I do not lay flowers or plant flags, I usually take a moment on this day to reflect on how and why I live in a free country. Also, anytime I encounter an active or retired service man or woman, I make it a habit to thank them and shake their hand.
 
Tobor said:
While I do not lay flowers or plant flags, I usually take a moment on this day to reflect on how and why I live in a free country. Also, anytime I encounter an active or retired service man or woman, I make it a habit to thank them and shake their hand.
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I am sure they appreciate that. My intent is not make people feel guilty, but to raise awareness. We need to do a better job of educating our youth.
 
Today while visiting my wifes families gravesites. A gentleman was walking down the rows of headstones, every so often he would stop, sweep the dust and small debris off the headstone, place a single penny on the headstone, the stand sharply to attention salute the fallen soldier, then right face/left face (depending on which direction was onto the next headstone), then proceed to the next veterans gravesite and repeat. Later on I researched the tradition of coins on graves of fallen soldiers. A penny lets the family of the deceased know someone simply visited, a nickel means the visitor went through boot camp with the fallen, a dime means they served together at some time, and a quarter means they were present when the soldier fell. I have been to many memorial services and this was the first time I have ever encountered this act, it was touching, hopefully someday I will be able to again visit my fallen brothers and give them the same respect this man showed for every soldier he came across today.
 
I had a relaxing vacation. I was off Thursday last week and go back on Tuesday then off again on Friday. I didn't anything just chilled out and tried to sleep in. Just felt good!
 
rharshberger said:
Today while visiting my wifes families gravesites. A gentleman was walking down the rows of headstones, every so often he would stop, sweep the dust and small debris off the headstone, place a single penny on the headstone, the stand sharply to attention salute the fallen soldier, then right face/left face (depending on which direction was onto the next headstone), then proceed to the next veterans gravesite and repeat. Later on I researched the tradition of coins on graves of fallen soldiers. A penny lets the family of the deceased know someone simply visited, a nickel means the visitor went through boot camp with the fallen, a dime means they served together at some time, and a quarter means they were present when the soldier fell. I have been to many memorial services and this was the first time I have ever encountered this act, it was touching, hopefully someday I will be able to again visit my fallen brothers and give them the same respect this man showed for every soldier he came across today.
Click to expand...

Thank you for sharing this story. I have read about this tradition but did not know the full details. I may have to take my family to a local veterans cemetery and pass the tradition on.
 
cwbullet said:
Thank you for sharing this story. I have read about this tradition but did not know the full details. I may have to take my family to a local veterans cemetery and pass the tradition on.
Click to expand...
Its the least we veterans can do for our fallen brothers, it also lets the families of the fallen know that there ancestors/parents/siblings/relatives are remembered for their service especially in this time when so few seem to respect the past and the sacrifices made for the present we have.
 
I find the title of the thread problematic (no disrespect to the OP). Should we really say "Happy" Memorial Day if we want people to treat it as a solemn day of remembrance?
 
This on brings tears to my eyes every time - even if it is staged.

354F23B2-235F-487E-81A6-B5104BD85EB0.jpeg

This is my grandfather in WWII.
98077676-E867-4C73-8C4B-AEE5B5EB41F5.jpeg
 
Maybe we should all get together to honor those who gave their lives by building a rocket to commemorate the fallen hero's. Maybe some how include a list of the them on the rocket like they did for them on the wall. Or have the flag with across and boots and helmet and guns. Need to maybe get a wrap made. Probably would be easier. Launch it next year?
 

Be careful of the politics. I am not sure how much of the news I believe. I do not trust a word out of their mouth at this stage.
 

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