Unless somebody wants to make it so.


>
> LET US NEVER FORGET!
>
>
>
>
>
>
> MEMORIAL DAY
>
>
>

>
>
> .
> It is the
> VETERAN,
> not the preacher,
> who has given us freedom of religion.
>
> It is
> the VETERAN,
> not the reporter,
> who has given us freedom of the press. It is the VETERAN,
> not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
>
> It is
> the VETERAN,
> not the campus organizer,
> who has given us freedom to assemble.
>
>
> It is
> the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
> who has given us the right to a fair trial.
>
>
>
> It is
> the VETERAN,
> not the politician,
> Who has given us the right to vote.
>
>
>
>
>
> It is the
> VETERAN who
> salutes the Flag,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> It is the
> VETERAN who
> serves under the Flag
>
> ETERNAL
> REST GRANT THEM O LORD,
> AND LET YOUR PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
>
>
> We can be very proud
> of our young men and women in the servic--no matter where they serve.
>
>
>
>
> God, Bless them all!
>
> Makes You Proud To Be An American!


I guess I'm not computer savvy enough to make this pics come through from the e-mail I received, but that's OK. Just the words are good enough.

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Memorial Day, for me, is a time for reflection. I do selfishly think about just how expensive it has been for me and my loved ones for me to serve our country and the Corps.

On this day, I spend a lot of time silently honoring in my heart friends that have fallen in that service. The dead and the terribly wounded...with all those ramifications...

So many...

My boss sought me out and thanked me for my service. I told him that I appreciated the gesture very much, but today is not "my" day.


Today IS my day in the sense that I have the great gift and curse of knowing what the sacrifice is, and have borne witness to those that have earned the privilege that this day honors.

It is profound.

On a very personal level, if there is a God, he has very much watched over me for some reason. I'm absolutely amazed that I made it past 19 years old, much less to "geezer-hood".

In the "me and mine" category- our particular execution of the profession made getting through it without getting killed or badly maimed the exception, not the rule.

Memorial Day is a day of honor for those still standing in that crowd.


Semper Fidelis

Yes, today is your day, you and people like you who really have been there and done it. Technically, I'm a veteran too, but comparably, I'm like a high school football player and you're like a member of the Packers.

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My neighbor (and friend) came by my house this morning before I went to work. He told me something that he never mentioned before. He said that when I first moved here, he thought I was a drug dealer. I had out-of-state tags, my wife seemed "normal", but I was never here, and that I had too many "visitors" when I was here.


He told me he struck up a conversation with one of my visitors about 8 years ago and figured the whole thing out to his satisfaction (at the time). He has always been quite nosy, but I love the guy...

My visitor was the wife of one of my fallen comrades, she was still seeking "closure", I suspect- Frankly, I don't remember her specifically. . That would be a typical visitor to my home. It has fallen off, thank-God. HE- told me he remembers it like yesterday. -I- have zero recollection of her visit.

I have seen some amazing things come from the REMFS when the situation demanded it, so please don't put me on some kind of pedestal, comparatively. I would imagine it would be much harder if not ready. You served, Texas, and that puts you in the 99.999 percentile in this group 🖐

That's what Memorial day feels like to us... that's what I was trying to say... the ones still here...it isn't just the loss of your buds... It's the wives, the kids, the parents...

and ultimately...

selflessness- This is what should be honored, regardless of the profession, military or other-wise.

A rare commodity.


Edit- My wife just told me the length and breadth of her trials and tribulations she incurred the 2nd time I got shot. I had absolutely no idea of it all.





I thought she was making the shit up, except I had some idea that it was true as she spoke. I had been shot in the head, btw.




Perspective-wise, I did not know that she was my wife when that happened. I thought that was under wife number one, so many years ago. Really.


We pay a price, us vets, it's not usually b.s..






These are the kind of prices paid by your veterans. Me and my buds absolutely stood the line of the United States of America for (me personally) for most of my 30 years. We all knew that we were responsible as individuals and as a unit for the honor of our unit, Corps and country. Someone else is doing the same thing as you read this. We felt like we could not be moved backwards, (The Army calls that "Retrograde Operations"- they have a field operations manual available for it - Marines do not have one of those, 😝 ) and we never did, not in my 30 years, period. We DO have a standing order... You will die in place in the event you are over-run. We honor that also. The depth of what that involves is just about inexplicable to most readers. I don't give a rat's ass what anyone in here thinks of me, except know one thing...

MY friends stood that line. WE did. Not the doggies, squids, wing-wipers, etc. WE DID. It wasn't noisy, but that's the facts, Jack.

The President asks two questions when shit hits the fan on this planet.

1. Where are the carriers?
2. Where are the Marines?... because we don't go backwards, no matter what.

Gunny I know almost every Vet says that Memorial Day is not their day. It is a day to remember those who gave their all. (And as you pointed out, their families.)

I can't accept that. I do remember them. But I also want to remember those who gave some too. Your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your family is appreciated by many of us. You deserve to be remembered and recognized for the sacrifice that you made.

I would rather tell the person thank you while they can still see and hear me instead of waiting until they have passed away. My gratitude does not change but I think it is more meaningful.

Thank you for being Always Faithful to this nation.

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this thread WASNT "back alley" material.
it should be up front where everyone
would see it.
all vets deserve our thanks and gratitude.

you did not have to die to earn it.

your service that helped keep us (me) free
EARNED it!

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