Take a minute out of your busy day...

[Rocky]

Today we had our Memorial Day Parade and ceremonies in my little city of Powell, Ohio. I was privileged to be able to serve coffee and doughnuts to the Vets before and after the parade. We had between 40 and 50 vets from all services and periods, 8 or so of which served in WWII and Korea. One was a veteran of the D-Day invasion (June, 1944) and another was a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge (December, 1944). Both of these dates are about 70 years ago and both men were 17 at the time. It struck me that these men were mere boys at the time, just a year older than my oldest Grandson. In my most vivid imagination, I cannot picture Anthony hitting Omaha Beach or enduring the bitter winter in the Ardennes.

James Jones, who wrote From Here to Eternity, The Thin Red Line and Some Came Running felt that the United States as a society hit its Zenith with the generation that came of age during WWII and we have been in decline since then. I am inclined to agree. But whether you do or do not agree, please take a minute out of your busy Memorial Day and give a thought and thanks to the 1.5 million or so men and women who have given their lives for what we enjoy (and largely do not appreciate) today.

I wish all the best to you and your families on this Memorial Day.

 

[Julie]

I'll second that! Thank you to all those who served and is presently serving!

 

[corinth]

Memorial Day

Rocky,
Thank you so much for posting a tribute to all who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice to their country.

Below, I have posted a poem by John McCrae who made the ultimate sacrifice in WW1
Corinth

In Flanders Fields

John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead; short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 

[bkisel]

I am also inclined to agree about the decline if our nation. My brother and I , both Marine Corps Vietnam vets, sometimes remark about how 16 year olds would lie about their age to get into the service during WWII and today you can't get them [not all of course] to make their beds.

 

[JohnT]

here, here rocky. where would this country be without these brave heros?

 

[REDRUM]

With all due respect, I think you are underselling young people. If the necessity arose, I think young people would do what they had to do.
Going to war is also a bit less romantic these days than it once may have seemed.

 

[Julie]

You know, I really didn't want this to become a debate and after I posted I thought someone will come on here and want to argue. With this said, I am deleting my post and let's just get back to recognizing our armed forces.