Memorial Day and Veterans

Ultradog MN · May 29, 2016

I see some nice sentiments shown to our Vets today.
But
This is the day we honor those who have fallen in service to their country.
We have Veteran's Day - Nov 11th - to honor those who have served.
Ordinary vets do deserve our respect and admiration. But they do not deserve the reverence we show to those killed in the line of duty.
Let's not cheapen this day with talk about the ordinary vets who came home and lived their lives or those who still walk among us.
It is an insult to those who gave all.

John M · May 29, 2016

Been thinking that for years now. Its not just here, its everywhere. While I have the utmost respect for all that served, Memorial Day is not for all of them. Of course there are some who just see it as a 3 day weekend.

tomturkey · May 29, 2016

You both are absolutely correct. This will be my 13th or 14th year of delivering the message for Our Local American Legion Post Memorial Day service. I remind people regularly that "this" day is to Honor those who have died in service to our country and her people. The emphasis must be on those who died. We honor and thank all, but those who have died deserve MORE because they did not get to enjoy the freedoms they died to protect. People just need to be educated about the difference in the two days. They will then realize that those who have died deserve a "little more". May God bless our Armed Forces. gobble

NIK OWEN · May 29, 2016

JerryS · May 29, 2016

"Ordinary vets do deserve our respect and admiration. But they do not deserve the reverence we show to those killed in the line of duty."

I get your point, Jerry, and technically you're correct, especially about the 'ordinary' vets. However, I don't mind showing a lot of reverence to those who gave 'almost' all, those who came home without limbs or eyesight, or whose minds are forever frozen in moments of horror. They need not just recognition and remembrance, but all the love we can show.

big tee · May 29, 2016

I agree 100% I was just telling my wife the same thing after watching a news cast. This day is to honor the service people who made the ultimate sacrifice---The ones who came home in a flag draped coffin or died from their injuries later. Veterans day is to honor them ALL...Tee

aFORDable · May 29, 2016

I agree. ( Vietnam combat vet 71,72)

cobroller · May 29, 2016

May 26 2016 over at Parsons Kansas they buried a sailor who was killed on the USS Oklahoma 12/7/41. It would have been his 96th birthday that day-he was 21 when he died. They didn't identify his remains until last year. There have been several WWII servicemen's remains brought home around here in the last few years. I'm glad they are still trying to bring them home.

JMS/.MN · May 29, 2016

Totally agree- Memorial Day is when we honor our war dead. Period. Not aunt Mathilda, or uncle Clem, the draft dodger, nor just those of us who served. Put the flowers on Tillie"s grave any other day than this or Veterans Day. I don"t understand the local custom of reading the Roll Call of the dead...since non-war dead Veterans are included.

DannyE · May 29, 2016

I'm not sure when it changed, but Mom and Dad would get us dressed-up and go to the cemetery, to place flowers and flags on "Decoration Day", and pay our respects to my 3 uncles and one aunt, "who gave all". Dan

old · May 29, 2016

News tonight said it changed in 1971 not sure if that is correct or not just what was on the news

old · May 29, 2016

Ah but what was 9 days ago on the 21st that few ever so much as take a minute to acknowledge ???????????????????

NCWayne · May 30, 2016

As a Navy Vet, of the first Gulf War my opinion is this. We don't need one specific day to honor any of the Veterans, regardless of whether they gave their life, or not.

What we do NEED is to remember them all every day of our lives, and thank them for their service. As the old saying goes, "All gave some. Some gave all".

I'm on another site with a lot of Vets, and current military members. Most, like myself, don't really want any extra recognition, and to have someone say, "Thanks for your service" is actually a bit embarrassing as all of us were doing nothing but the job we signed up for..........and we all knew the possible consequences of our commitment.

mj · May 30, 2016

This is for my Dad: 2nd Lt Dwight C. Selmon, KIA on 29Nov1944, while leading his platoon in the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest. He was 'in country' less than a month before his unit was ordered, by some 'pencil pusher', into a meat grinder.

This is taken from the PBS.org website (an article written by - David T. Zabecki)

[i:761d93be73]"Although it is little remembered today, the battle for the Hürtgen Forest was one of the worst defeats ever suffered by the U.S. Army. In three months of combat operations, the Americans sustained almost 33,000 casualties but accomplished almost nothing tactically or operationally in the process."[/i:761d93be73]

For More Info: http://www.pbs.org/thewar/detail_5224.htm

Thank you all and Rest In Peace.

mj · May 30, 2016

(quoted from post at 12:00:53 05/29/16) ..................... Its not just here, its everywhere. .....................

I disagree. The American Cemetery at Margraten, The Netherlands, is VERY well-kept by Dutch families and not just by the survivors of WW2 but by their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. There are some 8,500 graves there and, on Memorial Day every year they (local Boy Scouts) place an American and a Dutch flag on EACH grave (they also do this on their 'Freedom Day' which is on the 5th of May). The local families began 'adopting' individual graves in 1946 and each one keeps 'their' grave site maintained, This commitment is usually passed from one generation to the next and there is a waiting list to become an 'adopter'.

Click here to learn more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...dddab4-fa79-11e4-9ef4-1bb7ce3b3fb7_story.html

Memorial Day and Veterans

Ultradog MN

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John M

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tomturkey

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NIK OWEN

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JerryS

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big tee

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aFORDable

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cobroller

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JMS/.MN

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DannyE

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old

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old

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NCWayne

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mj

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mj

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