# Memorial Day



## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

On Monday the nation will observe Memorial Day, a day set aside since 1868 to pay honor to those men and women in uniform who have died in our country's wars.
I will be at a ceremony starting at 11:00 AM to pay my respects to these souls, 444 of whom lost their lives while with the 1st Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in the Republic of Vietnam. My Brothers, each and every one. Rest in peace, guys.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Just one day.
21 May, 1971


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I do not have the words to adequately pay respect and honor the men and women in our Armed Services who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. 

God Bless Them. 

At 11:00 AM EST I will stand in a moment of silence to honor them as well RPD. Thank you for this thread and I hope to see it going throughout the weekend.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

My wife always dreads Memorial Day weekend for the effect it has on me.
Yes, old soldiers DO cry.
And I am not ashamed to weep for those lost.


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## Quietsurvivalist (Apr 26, 2015)

A fact RPD truly.....

My post elsewhere.......

Memorial Day from a Veteran’s perspective

First of all, Im not claiming to be anything I’m not. Im a vet, broken but not beaten and have buried so many friends I really don’t want very many new ones.

I don’t want to take away from anyone else sacrifice, but I don’t wallow in mine.

I will never regret anything I did or was sent to do. I hold my head up in the crowds who look down in embarrassment, for what political correctness says they should apologize for.

I stand up when the Flag marches by, remove my headgear and hold my hand over my heart. Its not about what is expected, it is to honor those who have gone before, and wait on the other side.

And to someday see friends, and deserve to stand with them again.

I wear the scars and the memories proudly and when asked I say “I did make a difference and it was worth it all.”

I would do it all again, with no regrets and only wish I could have done more before I was no longer able.

I want no thanks, but when you see a disabled Veteran, tell him or her “Thank You” And mean it. For the ones who are left, to know what they did they mattered


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Remember....

Major Arthur D. Nicholson, Jr. Becomes Last Cold War Casualty. This Week in History | Article | The United States Army


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

rice paddy daddy said:


> And I am not ashamed to weep for those lost.


Do not weep for those that were lost, honor those that served and gave the ultimate for us.

*Rancher*


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I try to live my life as best I can. The sacrifice they made can never be repaid by anyone. We can help each other, be kind and try to live up to the standard they set.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

My sorry, sinful, but Proud American Patriot self, is able to write the stuff on this forum that I write because of what those in uniform sacrificed.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

View attachment 11212


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## dsdmmat (Nov 9, 2012)

I remember those who I have lost along my Army journey, 2 Apache pilots in Albania, a good friend and neighbor in Iraq, a good friend in Afghanistan and 4 good fellow crewmen in a helicopter crash training up to go to Afghanistan. 

They are lost but never forgotten.


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## CourtSwagger (Jan 3, 2013)

rice paddy daddy said:


> On Monday the nation will observe Memorial Day, a day set aside since 1868 to pay honor to those men and women in uniform who have died in our country's wars.
> I will be at a ceremony starting at 11:00 AM to pay my respects to these souls, 444 of whom lost their lives while with the 1st Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in the Republic of Vietnam. My Brothers, each and every one. Rest in peace, guys.


Thank you for the reminder of the true meaning of this "holiday", and THANK YOU to the true patriots that have given their lives in defense of this great nation.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

We spent the morning putting flags on the Veterans graves. It was a very educational morning for my nephews. They got to talk to a Vietnam Veteran and learn about the true meaning of Memorial Day. He was nice enough to explain the proper flag etiquette for Monday.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Thank you to all the Veterans here. We (here) are your fellow country men and women. We stand with you and are proud of you all. 

Now I have some e-mails to write to my brothers, and nephews.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I was reading about the history of Memorial Day and thought I'd copy some of what I read and post it.

Observance of Memorial Day

In traditional observance, the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day. The half-staff position remembers the more than one million men and women who gave their lives in service of their country. At noon, their memory is raised by the living, who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain, but to rise up in their stead and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.

Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act adds the flying of the POW-MIA flag on all Federal and U.S. Military Installations on Memorial Day. The POW-MIA flag is to be half-staffed until noon along with the National flag.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed in December 2000. It asks that at 3 p.m. local time all Americans “voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of Remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps.”


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Thanks for this, I copied and emailed to all my contacts! May God Bless America!!


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

Those of us who did not have the opportunity to serve our country in the military, have no idea of the sacrifices, both physically and mentally, that have been made by those who did serve.

We, as civilians, offer our sincere thanks, our utmost respect, and our condolences, to all of the men and women who voluntarily, or involuntarily, joined the U.S. military, and experienced firsthand the horrors of war. That doesn't even BEGIN to pay the debt we owe these brave men and women.

Our veterans who do not like to be called "heroes" will have to live with the fact that the rest of us consider them to be heroes. 

Our heroes do not throw a football, hit a homerun, make a 3-pointer, or score a goal. 

Our heroes go to battle, to preserve or establish freedom, to protect the innocent, and to punish the evil-doers.

Our heroes go into battle to protect each other, and to do everything in their power to NOT come home in a flag-draped coffin.

Our heroes sacrifice their bodies, suffer mentally, and see, smell, touch, and hear things that NOBODY should ever have to.

Our heroes come home bruised, battered, mentally broken, or in a flag-draped coffin.

Our heroes don't ask for much in return for their tremendous sacrifices. They expect decent medical care, to help them recover both physically and mentally. At the very LEAST, our heroes deserve the best medical care this country has to offer.

Memorial Day is YOUR day of honor, and respect, and a day filled with PRIDE. Pride FOR you, and pride FELT BY YOU.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, and a day that the rest of us have, to express our sincerest THANK YOU for all you have done.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Proudly flying our home flag as of friday.shall salute and remember at 11:00 zulu.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Signature - Memorial Day 2015


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

And now, my friends, I must leave the computer for a while.
First the Indy 500
Then the Coca Cola 600


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

What most American families do not have to go through.
But I believe all Americans should know about.
Please watch this all the way thru, it's less than 7 minutes. A production of CBS Sunday Morning show. 
Humor an old soldier and click on it.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

rice paddy daddy said:


> What most American families do not have to go through.
> But I believe all Americans should know about.
> Please watch this all the way thru, it's less than 7 minutes. A production of CBS Sunday Morning show.
> Humor an old soldier and click on it.


Sorry, Brother, but I couldn't watch it all.


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## mcangus (Jun 3, 2014)

I am going to post something that will be controversial especially for many people on this forum. Feel free to flame me but please try to understand my intentions are good. 

I find it very ironic that those who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day are the same ones that are disheartened that most Americans simply just go camping or bbq during the day without giving a thought about why it is a holiday(some people literally forgot what Memorial day is). The people who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day never seem to question the wars that have been fought with the claim that it is for our "freedom". Perhaps it isn't deemed inappropriate to question a war's legitimacy on a day where we suppose to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

mcangus said:


> I am going to post something that will be controversial especially for many people on this forum. Feel free to flame me but please try to understand my intentions are good.
> 
> I find it very ironic that those who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day and the same ones that are disheartened that most Americans simply just go camping or bbq during the day without giving a thought about why it is a holiday(some people literally forgot what Memorial day is). The people who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day never seem to question the wars that have been fought with the claim that it is for our "freedom". Perhaps it isn't deemed appropriate to question a war's legitimacy on a day where we suppose to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.


I understand your point of view.

What war have we fought that was for God, country, or the constitution? When were we facing an existential threat? You know the answer, obviously.

That makes it even that much more important that we remember and honor our brothers in arms who did not come home. Did they join to serve and die for reasons other than the most noble? I like to think not. That they died for reasons less than the most noble makes it that much more important that we remember them. This way, our brothers in arms did not die in vain.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

RIP to one of my best friends growing up.









12/11/1984 - 10/22/2006

You will never be forgotten.

Freedom isn't free.

Gracious, Sovereign God, Lord of all nations,

On this Memorial Day, we pause to reflect upon our blessings as a nation and the high cost of those blessings. We offer our prayers of thanks and intercession.

Thank you for the freedom we enjoy in this country, for opportunities to flourish, and for the security of our land.

Thank you for those who have served in the armed services of our country, risking their lives for our liberty.

Thank you for those who have given their lives in service to our country, sacrificing in such a costly way for the sake of others, including me. Thank you for those who have given their lives so that those who live in other countries might experience freedom from tyranny.

Thank you for a day set apart, not just for celebration, but also for solemn remembrance as we consider the sacrifices of so many in our military.

O Lord, may we be more aware of just how blessed we are as a nation. May we be more grateful for our blessings, more faithful in stewarding them well, more eager to share them with others.

We pray today for the families and friends of those who have given their lives in service to our nation. May they be comforted in their sadness. May they be reassured that the sacrifice of their loved ones contributes to a worthy cause. May they be proud of those they have lost, entrusting their ultimate fate into your gracious hands.

Even as we remember those who have given their lives in the past, we also think of those whose lives are on the line today. Protect them. Encourage them. Bring them home safely...and soon.

Give wisdom to the leaders of our armed services, that they might know how best to deploy the troops in the cause of freedom. May their efforts be successful, so that peace with justice might be established in our world.

Guide those who lead our nation in international affairs. Help them to pursue diplomatic paths that prevent needless conflict. May they have your wisdom about when and how to use the military might you have entrusted to us.

God of peace, stir in the hearts of the leaders of all nations and in all who would use violence to further their cause. Change their hearts and minds. Give them a passion for peace. Bring an end to the pain, suffering, injustice, and violence in our world.

We know, dear Lord, that ultimate peace will not come until your kingdom is here in all of its fullness. Nevertheless, we pray for a foretaste of the future. We ask for the growth of peace throughout our world today, so that fewer and fewer men and women will have to risk and even to sacrifice their lives. We long for the day when people will "beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more"

May your kingdom come, Lord, and your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven!

All praise be to you, God of grace, God of mercy, God of justice, God of peace, King of kings, and Lord of lords!

Amen.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

mcangus said:


> I am going to post something that will be controversial especially for many people on this forum. Feel free to flame me but please try to understand my intentions are good.
> 
> I find it very ironic that those who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day are the same ones that are disheartened that most Americans simply just go camping or bbq during the day without giving a thought about why it is a holiday(some people literally forgot what Memorial day is). The people who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day never seem to question the wars that have been fought with the claim that it is for our "freedom". Perhaps it isn't deemed inappropriate to question a war's legitimacy on a day where we suppose to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.


Memorial Day is not a day set aside to question a war's "legitimacy".

Questioning a war's legitimacy has it's own special day..........ELECTION DAY.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I find it very ironic that those who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day are the same ones that are disheartened that most Americans simply just go camping or bbq during the day without giving a thought about why it is a holiday(some people literally forgot what Memorial day is)

To enjoy this weekend to the way we want is why so many gave so much. The physical act of camping or whatever does not detract from what we feel in our hearts and minds.. jmo. Maybe I missed the gist of your post, in that case, never mind.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Sometimes I wish this forum had a "Really, Really, Like" button!


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Sometimes I lock myself inside my room that I only can enter, to spend time with those who could not come home with me.

There certainly is no Valhalla, but there is coming a day when I will see many of them again, . . . it just won't be in this screwball world, . . . thank you, Jesus!

May God bless, 
Dwight


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## hardcore (Jan 13, 2013)

gunna fire up the pit today in honor of our fallen vets.

went in at 17, ended up serving 21 years 3 months. 4 active the 17 as reservist

hats off to all vets here!


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

mcangus said:


> I am going to post something that will be controversial especially for many people on this forum. Feel free to flame me but please try to understand my intentions are good.
> 
> I find it very ironic that those who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day are the same ones that are disheartened that most Americans simply just go camping or bbq during the day without giving a thought about why it is a holiday(some people literally forgot what Memorial day is). The people who truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day never seem to question the wars that have been fought with the claim that it is for our "freedom". Perhaps it isn't deemed inappropriate to question a war's legitimacy on a day where we suppose to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.


I understand what you say, and I do not dispute it. 
I was never consulted on American foreign policy. I just carried it out.
Right? Wrong? I don't know.
But I do know what it means to lose so many of my countrymen for a cause that was thrown away by the American politicians and American public.
Those whose names are engraved on The Wall Within, the one that's inside each war veteran, the one he allows no one else to see.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

In remembrance of those who can no longer speak, who never came home.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me and I'll proudly stand next to him to defend her still today, 'cuz there ain't no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA." -Lee Greenwood


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Gotta watch it.


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## Quietsurvivalist (Apr 26, 2015)

Went to a service today

Some who know me ask me why, if Im a different belief

I tell them its not about me, its about deserving to stand beside them again in the next place


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

rest in peace america's sons and daughters. rest in peace my beautiful son.
i go by early and often to bring stories and flowers, clean his headstone for him to receive his visitors.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Thank you, shotlady, for sharing your son with America.
You are a very strong lady. 
And you are loved.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

I am strong because of those of you who supported me and offered encouragement checking in often.
yesterday was 7 mos. his b day is in two weeks. i guess you could say my sunny disposition is in jepordy. lol

sometimes things get dicey here, but theres jeep pushing me forward in his msgs... i cant thank yall enough or labusas

ya know its hard the organizations want me to join take up protest. i dont have anything left in me to give.
but for right now i just sit quiet, go to grief counseling and grief group and the range after work.

My other son Anthony keeps me going. My heart breaks for him too. i can see the hurt in his eyes. we will some way some how make it through.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Were pulling for you.


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