Memorial Day

[flamin lib]

As you go about your holiday festivities this weekend take a minute to reflect on the purpose of the day. Two days a year are reserved to offer appreciation to those who have worn the uniform of our armed services. Veteran’s day is for recognizing those who, having served, come back to us and live amongst us. Some whole and some not.

But this day, Memorial Day, is to remember and honor those who did not come back. Those who left their life in the dust of some Middle Eastern country, on a city street in war torn Europe, in a sweaty dirty jungle in the Far East, on the frozen hills of Korea or in the sands of some forgotten Pacific Island.

In all the wars since the United States became a country, and there have been far too many, men and women have answered the call. They have gone places, done, seen, heard and smelled things that no human being ever should. They did it for the rest of us, and many paid the ultimate price.

So pause for a minute this weekend and ask yourself where do we find people such as this and how can we possibly honor them for what they’ve done?

[sui generis]

1. we can start by honoring the ones who are serving in silence

who risk and give their lives in silence, unheralded as heroes, unknown and unacknowledged. Do tell.

[ThatsMyBarack]

2. ...

:patriot:

[ShortnFiery]

3. All who have served and especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice should

be honored as men and women who answered the call from their leaders.

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But we owe it to our present active duty soldiers - the youth of America - to stop War for Profit motives.

We must unite to stop the stranglehold of the military industrial complex on our nation's foreign policy decisions.

IF we ever wish to stop these seemingly endless wars, WE MUST GIVE IT OUR BEST TRY. Our youth deserve no less than "the truth" and a better world to live in.

[midnight]

4. We can honor those who serve this country in times of peace and war by

honoring our promise to care for them. How many of our vets are homeless, jobless, and not having their medical needs meet without a whole lot of blocking/game playing going on. Honor them in a dignified way. Let's not let them die homeless, hungry and without the medical care they were promised once they make it back home.

[old mark]

5. Rec. Thank you. An old friend who served 2 tours in Vietnam in the Marines

died of cancer several years ago. He had suffered from alcoholism and depression for many years, had lost a career and a marriage and was living in a basement supported by his parents. He was raving and crazy before he died - his war experiences never stopped haunting him and I believe they killed him - it just took longer than it did for many others.

We keep making new veterans; we must support and help the ones we already have and remember those who never made it back-and their families.

Thanks and rec'd.

Mark- Former Spec 4. 1/504 PIR 82nd Airborne Div.

[arcadian]

6. "did it for the rest of us"

How so? You mean the rest of us corporations? War is a racket.