| Author | Message | ||
     Wile_ecoyote |
Please take a moment to remember our fallen brothers and sisters. Without they're sacrifice we may have never known the freedom we all enjoy. If you can join in a ride do so. I wish you all a great day and be safe. Mattu | ||
| Slaughter |
Yes! Let's take a moment to remember ALL who have served. Memorial day is NOT about BBQ and motor racing and a day off work. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Definitely reflect those sentiments already stated. And BIG thanks to those out serving now and all the veterans out there besides. -Mike | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
bump | ||
| Jasonk |
bump...just keeping it on top... | ||
| Ryker77 |
Remember those who have served to protect your ability to live free by VOTING. The American voter is who keeps Americans free. Falling to vote or not voting educated allows the politicans to errode your liberties and freedoms. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
What everyone has said! I would like to thank all the guys/girls on this board who have served. We used to hear from a few of the people, giving us updates on what was going on in their military lives. I may be missing the posts. If I am, shame on me. (Message edited by BCordb3 on May 28, 2007) | ||
| New12r |
Yup, without those that serve we would not be here now! | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
A Tribute To Memorial Day 2004 Delivered by Joseph Raisner, Camp Hill High School Senior 2004 Every spring we celebrate this holiday called “Memorial Day,” which traditionally marks the beginning of summer. Although the true celestial observance of the changing seasons does not officially occur for another three weeks, today is recognized as the day when all the summer events may officially commence. It is a day when families can congregate for a picnic or a barbeque; it is a day when used car dealers are expected to mark down all their prices; and it is a day when, weather permitting, small communities can provide its citizens with a parade to entertain both children and adults alike. However, not all Americans today are celebrating this holiday with such spirited enthusiasm. Some families may not be holding that annual barbeque in the back yard. Some children may not be holding their fathers⼯u>?? hand as the band marches past. And some mothers may still be staring at the flag, which flies at half-staff. It is to these individuals whom I speak today, empathizing with your grief that a loved one may not be here to celebrate in these festivities. So today let us take a moment out of the celebrations to reflect on the true meaning of Memorial Day, and the sacrifices that our military personnel make for each and every one of us. It has been said that one must die so that others may know the full value of life. We are all given only one life to live. It may end in an instant—an instant unfamiliar to one and all. Yet it is because of this certainty of death that we place such a high regard on human life. Were we all able to live forever and experience no losses, we would never be able to fully appreciate the moments in life that make us truly happy. But just as happiness isn’t free, the freedom to live life to its fullest has its costs as well. That’s what the members of our Armed Forces do for us: they pick up the check so that the rest of us may enjoy the land in which we live. They fight for our freedom, for the freedom of their fellow human beings, and for the freedom granted to us by the founders of our nation. Every minute of every day, there is a soldier somewhere far from home, giving all he has to give for a much higher cause. Likewise, there is always a veteran somewhere, with his fingertips on a war memorial, thanking a fallen soldier for saving his life years before. These brave soldiers, sailors, fliers and marines died protecting their country and what it stands for. They died defending a way of life that they felt was worth dying for ... for families, children, freedom, morality, values, and responsibility. Although Memorial Day may be a federal holiday, and some of us have the luxury of a day off from work or school, our soldiers do not enjoy such a privilege. War is a 24/7 commitment that knows no holidays. War does not allow for second chances or second thoughts. And unfortunately, war brings the inescapable reality of death far too close to home. So why would someone even want to join the military in the first place? Why put yourself into that position, knowing you are only placing your life on the line? Well this commitment comes down to two things: honor and duty. When a soldier goes into battle, he is immediately stripped of any prejudices that befell him at home. He is no longer described according to his ethnic background, religious beliefs, or political affiliation. Instead, he is left with the title of an “American Soldier.” I cannot think of any more honorable distinction than this. Were I a doctor, a fireman, or an astronaut, all these childhood dreams would fall far short of the honor that a soldier in uniform carries. I know that every time I see one of our decorated men and women in public, I immediately hold them in the highest esteem. Although you may see a soldier at a common restaurant eating dinner, or walking to an appointment in the city, it is undeniable that you must feel a sense of admiration for this person. As he or she walks past, children stare in awe and veterans salute. This respect is earned through the meaning that the uniform carries. It isn’t simply for show, to decorate with pretty ribbons and sashes. Instead, it is to show that person’s dedication and willingness to serve. They serve each and every one of us by defending the nation in which we live today. Before adorning this uniform, they must swear an oath to protect the Constitution, the land, and the peoples of America from any and all enemies. To uphold this oath, they protect us with guns; they protect us with tanks; but most of all, they protect us with their lives. Just recently, ABCNews aired a special program titled “The Fallen,” which paid an exclusive tribute to all of the U.S. servicemen and women who have been killed while serving in Iraq. Their names were read aloud, and their pictures were displayed for the entire American public to witness. This program had no melodramatic flair, no background music, nor any traditional plotline to follow. Instead, it was merely a reading of the names of the heroes who died for our country. I must admit that personally I found myself totally enthralled by this program, despite the fact that I didn’t know any of the soldiers being mentioned. I actually sat there and listened as each and every person’s name was read, and felt a sense of admiration for these men and women whose commitment and courage were being showcased. They felt a sense of duty, and they dedicated their lives to fulfill that duty. How many of us actually feel that sense of duty so fervently that we too are willing to give the last full measure to defend our nation? How many of us can honestly say we’d choose the path of most resistance in order to contribute? We can all sit back and hang a flag in our windows or flaunt a bumper sticker that says, “Support the Troops,” but how many of us will actually dedicate our lives? Four years from now I will raise my right hand and swear an oath to become an officer in the United States Air Force. I seek to humbly join the ranks with the provided assurance that I will contribute a significant service to my country and seal the bond among soldiers that survives even death. Knowing that my life means something—that I will have contributed to a cause greater than any other I can think of—allows me the satisfaction of knowing the true worth of my existence. Historically, our nation has achieved many successes in battle, both domestic and abroad, fighting to protect humanity from oppression, tyranny, and to uphold a common freedom. However, these victories did not come without their casualties. We join here today to recognize the valiant efforts of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who put country before self and made their marks in history. Especially this year, we find ourselves dedicating a remembrance to the veterans of the past, as well as to the veterans of the present. In our nation’s capital, we have opened a new National Monument to the heroes of World War II; however, we are constantly reminded of the death toll in Iraq that has not gotten any smaller. As Senator Dole said just this weekend, we do not pay a tribute to war, rather, a tribute “to the physical and moral courage that makes heroes out of farm and city boys, that inspires Americans of every generation to lay down their lives for people they’ll never meet.” On this Memorial Day, to feel the full effects of the sacrifices our soldiers have made for us, I ask all of you to take just one moment to silently gaze upon the graves in our cemetery. Each one of those small American Flags represents not only that person’s service to the military, but also their service to each and every one of us. They gave all they had to give, and we owe our freedom, our happiness, and our lives in gratitude. | ||
| Daves |
Thank you to all that serve or have served. | ||
| Hammer71 |
The night before the burial of her husband, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to him for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that would have been played at a formal wedding they never held. She asked the Marines to continue standing watch. "I think that's what he would have wanted," she said.  November 9, 2005 The vigil Rocky Mountain News Inside the mortuary the night before Cathey's funeral, two Marines stood near the casket, unfurling sheets on a makeshift bed. "Make it look nice, dude, make it look nice," one of them said. "Who are you, Martha Stewart?" the other shot back with a grin. Another looked at the blanket. "If you're pregnant, do you get hot or cold?" One of the Marines who has a child of his own looked at the bed. "She's going to need another pillow," he said. "Since she's pregnant, she'll need to put a pillow between her legs." Then they saw car lights outside and took their positions. Earlier that day, Katherine had told them she couldn't bear to spend the last night away from her husband. She said she would sleep on a pew if she had to. The Marines found her an air mattress instead and promised to be ready. Arriving exhausted, she almost immediately crawled onto the bed they had made for her. Her stepfather helped tuck her in. "Do you have another pillow?" she asked. "I need one to put between my legs." One of the Marines crouched down and asked if they should continue to post guard in the room. "We can do whatever you want," he said. "We can stay or we can give you some privacy." "I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it," she said. "I think that's what he would have wanted." After one of the Marines dimmed the lights, Katherine opened a laptop computer on the floor. In the blue glow of the screen, she listened to the songs they would have played at the wedding they never held. She swayed, then closed her eyes. As drowsiness set in, she picked up an old T-shirt - the last shirt Jim Cathey wore before changing into his cammies to leave for Iraq. She hadn't washed it. It still smelled like him. She held the shirt to her face and breathed in. Just past midnight, Staff Sgt. Andrew Price walked to the back of the room and, like a watchful parent, dimmed the lights further. Then he closed Katherine's computer. For the next hour he stood, barely illuminated by the light behind the altar, until another Marine approached from the shadows, paused before the makeshift bed and raised his hand in slow salute. As each man was relieved, he walked into a spare room next to the chapel. In the darkness, one by one they spoke: 1:37 a.m. Staff Sgt. Andrew Price The lanky Marine had stood watch at dozens of funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, but none prepared him for this. "We would have stayed as long as Katherine wanted us there tonight. Even if she wanted us to go, I would have stayed there for her. I would have walked around in the shadows. Some way or another, we're always going to try to take care of her." Of all the hours he has walked sentry, the last hour and a half was the hardest. "It's almost selfish of us to die. James won't have to see her like that. They train us as warriors. They don't teach us how to take the pain away." 2:28 a.m. 2nd Lt. Charlie Loya Jr. They call him the joker of the group: a massive man with a massive laugh. "(After Cathey got killed) People would ask me how I'm doing and I'd say, 'I'm fine.' And I was. Then (at the airport) ... we picked the casket up off the conveyor belt and all I heard was Katherine screaming. I thought, 'My wife would be doing the same thing.' Then all I could think about was my son." When he heard about Cathey's death, he was scheduled to leave for Iraq in two weeks. Inside the room, he realized there were only eight days left. "(Before Cathey died) people would ask how I felt about going over there. I'd say, 'I'm confident, I'm prepared and my boys are ready.' "Now I'm f---ing scared." 3:19 a.m. Staff Sgt. David Rubio "Cat" would have wanted them to laugh, he said, so he did. "He was the smartest dumb guy I knew. I used to always tell him that. He was just a big oaf. I keep seeing that face, that big cheesy face." He got up, paced the floor, holding the grin, the way the big oaf would have wanted. "I got a call from him a couple months ago ... The last thing he said was, 'Mark time, dude. Mark time. I'll see you in the fleet.' "It just basically means, 'I'll be waiting for you.'" 4:23 a.m. 2nd Lt. Jon Mueller He looked at the dark wall and thought of the casket on the other side. "I'm still going to go when they ask me to go. But I also want people to know what I am doing. I'm not a very emotional guy. I don't show emotion, but I know that it's important for people to know how much you care for them. I'm not the kind of guy who can say, 'I love you.' It's not easy for me. "I'll make it so that my loved ones know that I love them." 5:19 a.m. 2nd Lt. Jason Lindauer "Cat was doing what he loved. I suppose that makes it a little easier, but ... I called my (4-year-old) son on the phone, and he said, 'Daddy, my friend Cat got killed.' (My wife had told him.) "I said, 'Yeah, I know buddy. Cat's in heaven.'" The Marine began to cry. "(My son) said, 'Well, when's he coming back?'" He lowered his head. "I said, 'He's not, buddy.'" As the sun rose in Reno, the casinos continued to chime. Diners began to fill. In the newspapers that hit the porches, Iraq had been pushed to the back pages again. While the city churned, the sun found the building where Katherine Cathey awoke. "It's the best night of sleep I've had," she said, surprised. "I really slept." As she sat, wrapped in a blanket, her eyes bleary, she looked at the casket. "You take for granted the last night you spend with them," she said. "I think I took it for granted. This was the last night I'll have to sleep next to him." Behind her, the next Marine approached, preparing to take over the watch. "I feel like they're my angels looking over me," Katherine said. She placed her hand on her belly. "Looking over us," she said. Todd Heisler the Rocky Mountain News When 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac. During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as one of the most powerful in the process: "See the people in the windows? They'll sit right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what's going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought him home," he said. "They're going to remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They're going to remember bringing that Marine home. And they should."  Semper Fi | ||
| Tunes |
Every Memorial Day I think of my father... He served in WWII and Korea... and died way too early. I also remember all his friends, all military, and their service... and I remember the few pictures he had of him and his "men" from both wars. He was a platoon sargent... And most of all, I remember the sacrifice of all those who have served our country. I salute and honor all of them. They will forever be in my memories. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I just got back from Rolling Thunder XX. It was a very moving weekend as always. From helping a family put flags on the graves of all the soldiers in the section that their son was put to rest, to saying Semper Fi to a fellow Jarhead. The older I get the harder these things are to deal with. | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
Spent the day on two rides. Visited several graves of fallen brothers. Talked to them all and gave thanks for they're sacrifice. Tough to lose good friends in that way. Buell was excellent therapy. Thankyou all for remembering what our people have endured. I'm sure my bro's smiled down on us. Be safe, ride hard........Mattu | ||
| Ryker77 |
The story above is why I joined the Marines. We take care of each other. Semper FI | ||
| Djkaplan |
My step-father is buried in a military cemetery on Ft Benning. I always make sure to read the names of the people that came before... and now after, him. | ||
| Court |
The story above is why I joined the Marines. We take care of each other. Semper FI | ||
| Bomber |
Conflict has a price -- this is part of it -- Memorial Day (known as Decoration Day until 1971, looked at as an opportunity to decorate the graves of fallen military personnel) is an opportunity for our citizens to remember those who've helped (along with the voters -- good call, Ryker), keep our country free from outside repression -- in recent years, the sentiment seems to have extended to also honor those presently serving -- I think this is a good thing, and says volumes about our citizens, all of it good while out riding in rural Wisconisn Saturday, Wingman and I ran across a VFW post -- large building, clearly one of the social centers of the fairly good sized town -- what drew our attention (other than the M60 Tank perched on the side of the road -- now THERE'S MY idea of a lawen ornament)) was the large number of flags flying -- 55 or 60 of em -- turned out that there was a plaque on the ground for each of the counties service people, living or dead -- they went back as far sa the SPanish American War, and memorialized some who, according to the inscriptions on several, were still serving in the Middle East . . . in a country that has a long and consistant history of less-than-honorable treatment of it's veterans, this display of local pride was a refreshing sight to see. (Message edited by bomber on May 29, 2007) | ||
| Djkaplan |
"I ran across a VFW post --" The VFW in Franklin, Kentucky is the only place in the county you can get a drink at a bar. It's illegal, though, because Franklin is located in a dry county. They still illegally serve liquor to veterans and their guests there. I don't condone breaking the local laws, but sometimes, for some things, it's OK. Um... you didn't hear this from me. |
