There will always be a special place in my heart for those who served;...especially those who I served with in the early years of my youth. Semper Gratis!
My thoughts and prayers will be to Spc. Edgar Cardenas, 2/5, 1st. Cavalry. On Aug. 27, 2007 the Bradley he was driving hit a major IED. My youngest son, a "dismount" in the back made it out o.k...Edgar did not. R.I.P. Edgar. I never met you, your wife, nor your 2 kids, but all of you will be in my heart forever. Scouts Out. Marko
every time i see a American flag i think of all those who have sacrificed to make this the greatest country in the world and with out that sacrifice this country would not be what it is today.with that being said let me thank all of you who have sacrificed to make this country what it is. god bless you and may god bless the U.S.A
Sometimes you forget there names,.... but never there faces,... the cost of freedom is the price all who serve know could be asked of them, and some make that ultimate sacrifice. When your enjoying your activities, family or friends tomorrow take a moment to remind everyone what the true meaning of this day is, and honor those that made the freedom we enjoy possible. And for some,... remember a face, a smile, some dumb joke, or the stories they shared, take them with you,.... they deserve it. If you know a widow or child of of a fallen brother or sister,.... try to help them, Freedom isn't free,... and they know it better than anyone,....... Please don't make this thread political,..... just Honor them.
If you know a VET, thank him. If you are a VET, THANK YOU.............from the bottom of my heart. Today I'll be thinking of my father, Col. Francis A. Burrell Sr. (I'm junior) who served two theaters in WWII as aircraft commander flying B-17's and B-29's. After the war he continued his service for a total 36 years in the United States Air Force commanding B-47's and B-52"s. He died 5 years ago a patriot to the end. Thanks, DAD, I Love You Frank
God Bless each & every man & woman who gave their time, their efforts & their lives so we could live in this wonderful free country.
Memorial Day roll call salutes 148,000 veterans By GILLIAN FLACCUS (Associated Press Writer) From Associated Press May 23, 2009 8:08 PM EDT RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Abts, Richard. Adamski, Walter. Ahlman, Enoch. The names are whisked away by the hot, gusting wind as soon as they are spoken, forgotten in the stream of the next name and the next name and the next name. Fuller, Addison. Fuller, Mary. Furlong, John. The story of America could be told through these names, tales of bravery and hesitation, of dreams achieved or deferred and of battles won and lost. Taken alone, they are just words, identities stripped of place and time, stripped of rank and deeds and meaning. But they are not taken alone. They are taken together - 148,000 names, representing the entire veteran population of Riverside National Cemetery, a roll call of the dead read aloud over 10 days by more than 300 volunteers. They read in pairs, rotating through 15-minute shifts in the beating sun, in the chilly desert night and in the pre-dawn hours thick with mosquitoes. Some time on Memorial Day, they will read the last name on the 2,465th page. Some read for their country. Others read for a father lost in battle or a beloved son cut down in his prime. And one man reads for no one in particular - except, maybe, for himself. ----- Richard Blackaby was just 18 and fresh out of high school in 1966 when he was drafted for Vietnam. His father had served as a Seabee in the U.S. Navy during World War II and Blackaby was desperate to follow in his path. But the Army said no: Blackaby had epilepsy and asthma and was unfit for service. Twelve years later, Blackaby - now married with three children - reapplied to the Army and was accepted to the 4th Infantry Division as a forward observer. But Vietnam was over and the eager recruit spent the next six years waiting for a war that never came. When he was honorably discharged in 1984, he was a sergeant but had never experienced combat, had never called in a real air strike or fired at a real target. Nearly 25 years later, Blackaby's missed opportunity weighs on him as he patrols his self-selected battleground: Riverside, the nation's busiest national cemetery. While others gave their lives, Blackaby gives his time - and a lot of it, nearly 30 hours a week. Over the years, Blackaby has made his specialty here not among the remembered and the honored, but among the lost, the abandoned and the forgotten. The work seems to fit his story of missed chances and dashed dreams, his yearning to belong to something greater than himself. Every day, the 60-year-old grandfather with the crinkly, blue-gray eyes slips on the black leather vest that's his personal uniform and stands at attention as the cemetery honors the cremated remains of dozens of abandoned or forgotten veterans. Every day, he salutes as the National Guard reads the names off the simple wooden boxes filled with ashes. Every day, he accepts the folded flag for soldiers he will never know - and then gives it back for the next day's dead. Dog tags engraved with the names of 145 forgotten veterans dangle from a thick key chain that never leaves his side, a different color for each branch of service. He knows the story behind almost every name. "If I didn't do it, who would do it?" he says. "I mean, they have friends, they HAVE to have friends. They don't go through a whole lifetime and not have somebody that cares about them." And, true to form, Blackaby reads names - hundreds of them - for the roll call project. He reads for hours on overnight shifts in the cemetery's eerie gloom, the podium illuminated only by a floodlight. He reads during the weekend afternoons and late into a Saturday night to cover gaps in the schedule. "Every one that we read off, I feel like I am probably doing their family a favor because they can't be here," he said. "I'm reading off a whole litany of history. It kind of makes you wonder what's behind each name, what their life was like, what they did." --- Lamborn, Richard. Lamphear, Everett. Landaker, Jared. A gust of wind springs up and snatches the last name away. No one notices it and later, even the volunteer readers won't recall the name of the young Marine or which one of them read it. All they know is he was a 1st lieutenant, fifth from the bottom on page seven of 2,465. --- Joe Landaker was the first person to touch his son, Jared, as he slipped into the world on his parents' bed on May 3, 1981, after 36 hours of labor. From the beginning, Jared was special - but not in the way most parents would want. His skull was compressed during birth and doctors warned that he might be mentally challenged. During childhood, he kept falling off the growth chart. He barely topped out at 5-foot-8. But Jared, who went by the nickname J-Rod, surprised everyone. He took calculus in high school, knuckled down in college and got a degree in physics. He signed up for the Marines his sophomore year and graduated from officer training school in Quantico, Va., among the top five in his platoon of 80 men. By fall of 2003, he was in flight school and on Aug. 18, 2006, Jared shipped out for Iraq as a Marine helicopter pilot flying a CH-46 Sea Knight with the famed HMM-364 Purple Foxes. "He overcame so many adversities in his life, time after time," said his father, Joe. On Feb. 7, 2007, a week before Jared was expected home in Big Bear City, his father was watching CNN at 5:30 a.m., getting ready to go to work, when he saw that a CH-46 chopper had been shot down near while on a medical mission. Two months before, when two Marines died in a CH-46 crash, Jared had e-mailed his parents within two hours to let him know he was OK. But this time, hours passed with no word. "They said there were seven people on board, so I waited. I didn't go to work, waited and waited all day long, waited again for his e-mail or a phone call that he was all right," said Landaker, choking back tears. "It never did come." At 4:15 p.m., a Marine captain, a chaplain and a 1st sergeant came to tell Landaker his son had died on his last mission before coming home. Since that day, Landaker has been consumed with keeping his son's memory alive. He shares his story with anyone who will listen. He has memorized every detail of his son's life and death. He now knows that the boy who called him "Pops" took 58 seconds to lower his stricken chopper from 1,500 feet to 200 feet; seven seconds faster, and he might be alive today. "The last thing I want to do is forget about Jared. He comes to my mind all the time, songs, things that you see," said Landaker. "When he was a baby, I'd give him a shower and I'd hold him up and those kind of memories come to mind all the time." "He's so special to me," he said. "Those Iraqis have no idea who they killed." The rows of grave markers are cool and smooth in the heat, their numbers obscured by tufts of grass that have crept around the edges of the stone. Landaker walks, head bowed, along the rows of plots in Section 49B. "3438. It should be right around here," he says, bending low. Then Landaker falls to his knees, weeping. The stories, the details don't matter now: There is no way to unbury the dead, to bring the CH-46 from 200 feet back to 1,500 feet, to reset the clock with seven extra seconds. "Well, all right son," he says. "Take care, son." And so he volunteers to help call the roll at Riverside. He will not have an opportunity to read his own son's name, but at least he can ensure that the sons of others are not forgotten. --- The heat beats down on the volunteers. A dozen spectators press themselves into any sliver of shade - a tree, the thin shadow of the flagpole, an awning. In the shade near the sign-in booth, Richard Blackaby and Joe Landaker stand ready to take the podium, two strangers awkwardly chatting before their shared 15 minutes of service. Landaker wears a white T-shirt printed with Jared's photo; Blackaby, for once, has shed his black leather vest for a dark suit adorned with military ribbons and an American flag pin. They discover a bittersweet bond: Blackaby escorted Jared's coffin to his military funeral at the cemetery two years before. The two men embrace, then step to the podium. The names pass between them like fragile treasures. White, Clark. White, Mary. Whito, Russell. Their 15 minutes pass, and they step down. Landaker, eyes red with tears, has another piece of his puzzle, another connection - another story to cling to. But Blackaby is not finished. He steps forward again, ready to read for those who will never have the love of a father like Jared's. He will be there until 2:30 a.m. on this muggy Sunday and back again the next day and the next day and the next. He is patrolling the boundaries of the past, filling gaps in this American story and in his own life - one name at a time.
Hey Harms Way, Bless you brother for the posting that powerful picture and reminding me (us) with, "If you know a widow or child of of a fallen brother or sister,.... try to help them, Freedom isn't free,... and they know it better than anyone,......." That photo spoke to me in a big way! I saw it this morning before my family headed out to brunch, we were celebrating great grandma's birthday and having our family memorial. Like I said in my previous posting, three fallen members this year with nine since this war kicked off. I had a spell of deja vu regarding the photo you posted, I found myself trying to comfort my nephew, it was all too real! He's a tough little guy but today was hard on him. I made him sit at the head of the table, as he is now the "man" of the house, though he's yet to reach his tenth birthday. I was wrong to distract from this thread by getting personal about the politicians, thank you for correcting me, I appreciate you doing so. I also want to thank you for keeping this thread alive, you're a good man! My deepest gratitude to all for the sacrifices made, I pray those serving come home safely and soon! Never forget or take for granted! -DON-
We will remember them.....and their families, friends and loved ones. Gratitude and respect to all our servicemen and women who have paid the ultimate price and to those who are still serving. Rat
Thanks for your honor, dedication and sacrifice. We indebted to all in service, and especially to the vets. Pete Richmond, VA
Today is about men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure us the freedom to enjoy our way of life. Having said that,I still want to salute our service men and women with with my next comment ,,wheather they served during peace time or conflict, I went by Skin Thrashers ,a local hot dog diner a few days ago and there were 3 Marines seated at the counter having lunch and a young guy who had just enlisted standing behind me placing a to go order and telling the girl at the counter about his departure next week to the Army. He walk over to speak to the 3 men in uniform while his order was being prepared. This young man was eager to get started with his basic training. As I picked up my order and thought,,why not do something for the men who serve our nation,so I ask the girl what the bill was for the Marines and the young guy that was joining the Army,,,I picked up their tabs and walked out with my order. Less than 20 bucks,,and it made me feel good to say a simple thank you without saying a word! Thanks to all that help keep our nation free,, HRP
i will be honoring and saluting all who served at legion post 449 in brookfield wisconsin today. it's a great way to meet and hear many who have served. i will be there with two former marines , my 81 year old father and my brother. to them i say thank-you and job well done. SEMPER FI !!!
You sir, are what memories are made of. WAY TO GO!! My USMC son is a Purple Heart recipient and was walking with a cane upon his discharge. I took him and his wife to the Hard Rock Cafe in San Diego for lunch the day after his release. A Vietnam vet (I could tell by his hat) walked up to our table without saying a word. He picked up our tab, saluted my son, then said "Thank you for serving our country" Later that day, we went to play miniature golf. While waiting in line a child popped a ballon. The BANG caused my son to grab his Mom and wife out of natural reaction and "hit the deck". We got out of line and stood there for a couple minutes so my son could calm down. Now, here comes a stranger from the golf shack with 4 clubs and balls. He says "I hope you don't mind, I paid for your round, it's the least I could do" My son still talks proudly about those incidents from 4 years ago.
thanks for all you have done to keep us free. thanks for all your sacrifices great and small. we live in a great country with freedoms that a lot of people don't have.
glad to see this thread,,,for many people this day represents notning more than a day off, a bbq, and trips to the beach,,,,hopefully those people will take just a minute to realize why those things are possible for them,,, my sincerest gratitude to those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
This is the most moving thread I have ever read anywhere. I have wept openly reading through all the posts. No words can truly express the feeling of gratitude we have for our fallen brethren. God bless one and all!
MEMORIAL DAY this was an email I received, make sure we teach the next generation what the holiday really is and its not just a day off work or school. I will not lie, I also got teary eyed rereading this thread. God Bless
In my 20 years of service this happened to me 3 times. I can tell you that it meant a lot. The last time I was having a "not so good day" so I left the base for lunch. When it came time for the check the waitress said, "It's been taken care of" Its nice to know you're appreciated and I can tell you that it kept me motivated...So thank you for doing that!
I just got back from the cemetary.to visit my dad and my uncle.I cleaned up and spruced up there sites.Both were veterns.I took a few extra minutes to reflect upon all of the other military graves, I told my kids these men an women laying in the ground peacefully, is the reason we enjoy our freedom today.
Memorial Day (Remembrance Day) is to remember the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Merchant Marines, and cilvilians that gave their lives in all of America's wars, and those Americans that fought in the service of our Allies. It is to remember the war dead. Veteran's Day (Armistice Day) is to remember and thank the LIVING servicemembers, whether active duty or not. Observed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, originally to commemorate the end of World War I. Armed Forces Day is to celebrate the Armed Forces, in total. People mix the meanings of these observations, and that is not correct. Each of these three days has it's own special meaning. As a retired USAF NCO, I felt the need to clarify this.
here's a nice little clip i came across....have a safe memorial day to you and yours. http://www.975countrykhcm.com/Article.asp?id=1297311&spid=32377
The Jalopy Journal
