Take a moment to ponder

[tower912]

The reason we have a three day weekend.

Think about the sacrifice that was made. 

Think about the what we are doing with their gift to us.

Take one moment to ponder.


Peace to all.

[Goose]

My Dad was WWII vet and I am thankful 365 days a year for all the men and women that serve to provide freedom to the greatest country in the world. Sadly, our local Memorial Day Parade is off again this year, but my Mom, Dad and all Vet's will be in my thoughts a little extra today. My siblings and I will be having our first time all together since our Brother in Law's funeral last September and a toast will be made in honor of those who have served our country.

[MU82]

As the son of a WWII veteran and brother of an Army veteran, I think about their contribution to our great democratic republic -- and the sacrifices of their fallen "teammates" -- all the time.

Never hurts for all to be reminded, though, so thanks for the thread, tower.

[MuggsyB]

My Dad was WWII vet and I am thankful 365 days a year for all the men and women that serve to provide freedom to the greatest country in the world. Sadly, our local Memorial Day Parade is off again this year, but my Mom, Dad and all Vet's will be in my thoughts a little extra today. My siblings and I will be having our first time all together since our Brother in Law's funeral last September and a toast will be made in honor of those who have served our country.

Thank you to your father for his sacrifice and sorry for your loss.  Enjoy your day Goose with your siblings and thank you for the important message.  I'm nor sure if you're interested, but if you enjoy reading WW2 books two very good ones came out last year:  Sand & Steel by Peter Caddick Adams and The Splendid and the Vile:  Churchill Saga by Eric Larson.

[mu_hilltopper]

To be honest, I never educated myself about Memorial Day until about 7 years ago. 

A vet in our community decided to host a ceremony in our village .. at the time, I was on a civic board and he asked for our help pulling off the event. 

It's a simple event, maybe 25 minutes with a key note speaker and a moment for people to recite names of loved veterans.

It's been going for 6 years now, and 500+ people attend.    Great event to pause and remember.

[MuggsyB]

To be honest, I never educated myself about Memorial Day until about 7 years ago. 

A vet in our community decided to host a ceremony in our village .. at the time, I was on a civic board and he asked for our help pulling off the event. 

It's a simple event, maybe 25 minutes with a key note speaker and a moment for people to recite names of loved veterans.

It's been going for 6 years now, and 500+ people attend.    Great event to pause and remember.

I would highly recommend the WW1 monument and museum in Kansas City.  It's the only one in the country I believe and we tend to overlook World War I.  Also, if I am not mistaken a few citizens in Kansas City, wanted to do something to honor our soldiers after the War.  It started incredibly small and somehow they mobilized the community to put up the money for this project.  It's absolutely first class and I don't think many people know about it. 

[Herman Cain]

Our community has a long standing Memorial Day tradition with parade , speeches and flag ceremony. The speeches from some of the Veterans are incredible. Their bravery and valor is truly special . Everyone is involved from little kids to aging WWII vets. I look forward to honoring our vets and their families every year .

[real chili 83]

In HS, worked with a cook that was an army cook in WWII. He would tell us stories about his deployment in the Philippines with McArthur. His favorite story was how he and his crew captured a few Japanese. He also liked to talk about getting mortar attacks every afternoon.

Wife's uncle was with Patton at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. One day at the cabin, he started talking about that battle.

Big Daddy's dad flew a SPD at Midway (no hits on the 4 carriers) and was a part of Taffy 3 that drove off the Yamato and the Japanese fleet.  He would share if we asked.

At the time, I never fully appreciated what they were sharing with me. I wish I could have those moments back again.

[MU82]

Wife's uncle was with Patton at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

My dad was there, too.

He never talked about the war when I was growing up. Then, when my son was 8, he had a school assignment to write about his hero. He chose his grandpa, and he did a phone interview. I was on the extension, taking notes. It was the first time I ever heard my dad talk about his WWII experiences; he died just 3 years later. That, and going with my dad to see the Holocaust memorial in D.C. during the last year of his life, are the two main memories I'll always have of my father's later years. He really was a hero.

[muwarrior69]

I would highly recommend the WW1 monument and museum in Kansas City.  It's the only one in the country I believe and we tend to overlook World War I.  Also, if I am not mistaken a few citizens in Kansas City, wanted to do something to honor our soldiers after the War.  It started incredibly small and somehow they mobilized the community to put up the money for this project.  It's absolutely first class and I don't think many people know about it.

The Trenton War Memorial dedicated to those who gave their lives in WWI was completed in the early 1930s; but it is a living memorial as it is a 1500 seat theatre for the performing arts. It is a place for high school graduation ceremonies, dance school recitals, on stage musicals, as well visiting artists from rock, country and the classics to perform. They died and are remembered so that we may live in freedom.

[Mr. Nielsen]

I do enjoy the PBS Memorial Day Concert. Hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise.
https://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/

[Lennys Tap]

The reason we have a three day weekend.

Think about the sacrifice that was made. 

Think about the what we are doing with their gift to us.

Take one moment to ponder.


Peace to all.

Thanks, Tower, well said. My Dad (Marines, Iwo Jima, Saipan and more) was a WWII vet who was very quiet but nonetheless proud of his service - as every vet should be.

Peace to you also.

[MUINGB]

My good friend and deer hunting buddy...........Was a point man in Viet Nam,.. 3 purple hearts, one bronze star.  I wish everyone could realize what people went thru in these wars.

[MuggsyB]

I do enjoy the PBS Memorial Day Concert. Hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise.
https://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/

House of Games is a great flick.  You gotta love Joe Mantegna.  Da Bears.

[HouWarrior]

My grandpa was a decorated WWI vet and My Dad was a WWII vet. Both  were purists when it came to Memorial day. In the early 60s..The two of them joined only by the family males ie me, my bro and male cousins (...BTW I have no idea why we excluded the women -- I guess we still protected the womanfolk from this war killing  thing back in those days...)

...all of us men headed over to Fort Snelling Natl Cemetery. Grandpa and Dad had us stand over, clean and flower the graves of a few of their relatives/friends.  Only graves of those killed in combat were in our focus. I asked why and grandpa gruffly responded "today is just for those who did not come back", "this aint Veterans day, fer chrissake Jimmy".

Well  just a few years later...I lost one of those male cousins in our group as he was killed in Vietnam Combat...a helicopter shoot down . Today is the day I think a lot a lot about cousin Bobby, ...esp what could have been ...his family kids etc., that never came to life.  He was just 21 and yet so full of life.

Reading the responses in this thread it has occurred to me ....very few of you here ever knew or met someone killed in combat . That you actually dont know anyone killed in combat is a wonderful gift of progress and peace--- that alone is worth us all giving thanks. Also...It is a logical progression to morph Memorial day into a sort of a veterans day ....remembering veterans who came back and have now passed. May none of you ever know someone killed in combat. Peace out

[NolongerWarriors]

Two of my uncles fought in WWII, one under Patton, and one on a destroyer in the Pacific.

The uncle who was with Patton actually made the cover of Life magazine (was shown in a foxhole).

The uncle who was on the destroyer had his ship hit by a kamikaze and saw some of his buddies burned alive.  When he got home, my mom remembers him frequently waking up in the middle of the night screaming.  Said he always had a haunted look in his eyes after that.

Her family lived in Wauwatosa and she can remember as a young girl (she was the baby) how all the people would go to their windows when the long black car that everyone knew and feared would come through the neighborhood praying it didn't stop at their house to give the message that their son had been killed in action.

[lawdog77]

I would highly recommend the WW1 monument and museum in Kansas City.  It's the only one in the country I believe and we tend to overlook World War I.  Also, if I am not mistaken a few citizens in Kansas City, wanted to do something to honor our soldiers after the War.  It started incredibly small and somehow they mobilized the community to put up the money for this project.  It's absolutely first class and I don't think many people know about it.

I believe the monument in Kansas City is the "national" monument. Indianapolis has an amazing one as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_World_War_Memorial_Plaza

[muwarrior69]

My good friend and deer hunting buddy...........Was a point man in Viet Nam,.. 3 purple hearts, one bronze star.  I wish everyone could realize what people went thru in these wars.

I can remember the obits in the Marquette Tribune of MU grads KIA in Vietnam; 1-3 every week.