Memorial Day Thanks

scratch · 05-25-2008, 07:53 PM

I would like to take a minute and thank all of my fellow UPSers who have served our country in the military. Tomorrow marks a day when we need to remember the way too many young people who have gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending this country. Memorial Day is not just about taking a day off work and drinking a lot of beer around the grill.

I have never been in the military. I wore an JROTC Army uniform for a year back in 1973 which was my sophomore year in High School. That in no way could ever compare to the sacrifices that so many have made. I grew up the son of a WW2 vet. My dad carried a Browning Automatic Rifle through the Po River Valley in Italy back when he was just a kid barely out of High School. When the European War ended, he was sent to Japan as part of a Malaria Survey Team. He helped liberate POWS out of Japan (including General Wainwright) and was in a place called Hiroshima shortly about the time the surrender document was signed on the deck of the USS Missouri.

I had uncles over there as well. Uncle Ben was in the Third Army at the Battle of the Bulge and hated General Patton's guts. Uncle Coney was a bombardier in a B-29 bomber in the Pacific. I have one uncle still alive today. Uncle Billy was a young, red-headed Marine on Saipan and some other stinking island called Iwo Jima. Let's not forget the women at home either. My grandmother used to run a cafeteria at Fulton County HS and take my aunt to work with her to her second job at the Bell Aircraft Plant building B-29 bombers.

These were my role models as I grew up. They would only talk about the places they had been to. They would never talk about the horrors of war they experienced as young men. And some of these men had emotional problems the rest of their lives as they tried to forget. The WW2 Vets left are in their eighties now. The Korean War guys are in their seventies, and the Viet Nam Vets are not too far behind.

In closing, I hope that tomorrow everyone will remember people like these and all that have served in the many conflicts since. As Americans, we need to honor these people and respect what they did. And we should never forget.

Bad Gas! · 05-25-2008, 08:19 PM

Amen Scratch,
My dad was a POW at the end of the Battle of the Bulge for 4 months.He never talked to us(4 kids) much about his experiences as a 20 year kid in a war.Latter in life, before he died,he would tell a few emotional stories.He was a water-cooled machine gun sargent on a hill that ran out of ammo.He saw soldiers on the left and right get killed...The Germans treated the POW 's OK at the end of the war as they were tired and hungary, too.But it was cold, not much clothes, shoes were warn out out(frozen feet) and stomach problems (disintary).My dad...my hero for life.
Thanks to all that are serving now and before.God Bbless all those hero's....Amen!

newworker · 05-25-2008, 08:24 PM

Every war after the revolutionary war had nothing to do with preserving our freedom. just Lining the pockets of those in control.

moreluck · 05-25-2008, 08:58 PM

newworker....way to screw up a tribute.......not everything requires a 'political' comment. I don't know you, but I am ashamed of you.

I won't even neg. rep. you....you're not worth my effort!!

newworker · 05-25-2008, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moreluck

newworker....way to screw up a tribute.......not everything requires a 'political' comment. I don't know you, but I am ashamed of you.

I won't even neg. rep. you....you're not worth my effort!!

thanks for your input

Mike Hawk · 05-25-2008, 10:04 PM

This isn't a day to honor the wars, it is a day to honor the soldiers that fought and died in them. They fought and died so the rest of us didn't have to. Your views on weather the war was just or not are irrelevant.

scratch · 05-25-2008, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newworker

Every war after the revolutionary war had nothing to do with preserving our freedom. just Lining the pockets of those in control.

yeah newworker,
Germany, Japan, and Russia never meant the United States any harm. You need to pay attention in class.

newworker · 05-25-2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Hawk

This isn't a day to honor the wars, it is a day to honor the soldiers that fought and died in them. They fought and died so the rest of us didn't have to. Your views on weather the war was just or not are irrelevant.

that will reassure all the pawns today and tomorrow

trplnkl · 05-25-2008, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newworker

that will reassure all the pawns today and tomorrow

' It's worth my time neg rep you, not that you care.
You call yourself newworker, I really doubt you work enough to break a sweat. You have no idea what you are talking about, all you know is what some liberal socialist propagandist has written to further their USA hate agenda. Now little boy , go peddle your crap papers to someone who has no more clue than you do.

Mike Hawk · 05-25-2008, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newworker

that will reassure all the pawns today and tomorrow

You are nothing more than a pawn of whoever gave you your information. You really don't know anything, only what someone told you on purpose.

av8torntn · 05-25-2008, 11:49 PM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=16MjXSj-Kek

this is how serious we are about those that died in battle
http://youtube.com/watch?v=s-dBwdeJSGo&feature=related

newworker · 05-25-2008, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trplnkl

' It's worth my time neg rep you, not that you care.
You call yourself newworker, I really doubt you work enough to break a sweat. You have no idea what you are talking about, all you know is what some liberal socialist propagandist has written to further their USA hate agenda. Now little boy , go peddle your crap papers to someone who has no more clue than you do.

you scary

av8torntn · 05-26-2008, 12:00 AM

I ask that anyone who can please keep the family of my friend Sgt Robinson in their prayers today.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wK0T4pVHP28&feature=related

newworker · 05-26-2008, 12:05 AM

I didn't watch

I pray for good of everyone

god bless you

Bad Gas! · 05-26-2008, 12:07 AM

Newworker can thank the Americans that have fought and kept this country free for his freedom of speech.He will realize it when he grows up.Carry on young man with all your rights.We are fortunate to leave in this great land of freedoms.....If you don't believe it ..try living in another country..

newworker · 05-26-2008, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad Gas!

Newworker can thank the Americans that have fought and kept this country free for his freedom of speech.He will realize it when he grows up.Carry on young man with all your rights.We are fortunate to leave in this great land of freedoms.....If you don't believe it ..try living in another country..

would you kindly give me an example of how my freedom of speech has been enhanced by any war since the revolutionary war?

rod · 05-26-2008, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scratch

I would like to take a minute and thank all of my fellow UPSers who have served our country in the military. Tomorrow marks a day when we need to remember the way too many young people who have gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending this country. Memorial Day is not just about taking a day off work and drinking a lot of beer around the grill.

I have never been in the military. I wore an JROTC Army uniform for a year back in 1973 which was my sophomore year in High School. That in no way could ever compare to the sacrifices that so many have made. I grew up the son of a WW2 vet. My dad carried a Browning Automatic Rifle through the Po River Valley in Italy back when he was just a kid barely out of High School. When the European War ended, he was sent to Japan as part of a Malaria Survey Team. He helped liberate POWS out of Japan (including General Wainwright) and was in a place called Hiroshima shortly about the time the surrender document was signed on the deck of the USS Missouri.

I had other uncles over there as well. Uncle Ben was in the Third Army at the Battle of the Bulge and hated General Patton's guts. Uncle Coney was a bombardier in a B-29 bomber in the Pacific. I have one uncle still alive today. Uncle Billy was a young, red-headed Marine on Saipan and some other stinking island called Iwo Jima. Let's not forget the women at home either. My grandmother used to run a cafeteria at Fulton County HS and take my aunt to work with her to her second job at the Bell Aircraft Plant building B-29 bombers.

These were my role models as I grew up. They would only talk about the places they had been to. They would never talk about the horrors of war they experienced as young men. And some of these men had emotional problems the rest of their lives as they tried to forget. The WW2 Vets left are in their eighties now. The Korean War guys are in their seventies, and the Viet Nam Vets are not too far behind.

In closing, I hope that tomorrow everyone will remember people like these and all that have served in the many conflicts since. As Americans, we need to honor these people and respect what they did. And we should never forget.

From one who served who is not looking for thanks...................thanks

BigBrownSanta · 05-26-2008, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newworker

would you kindly give me an example of how my freedom of speech has been enhanced by any war since the revolutionary war?

I think you answered your own post simply by posting in this forum. Enjoy your day off.

FromBluetoBrown · 05-26-2008, 08:21 AM

My grandfather went ashore at Normandy with the 29th Infantry and my great uncle Gerald was on the USS California at Pearl Harbor. My mom's dad was in the Navy during Korea and his last tour before retirement was with VA-212 on the USS Hancock during Vietnam. And so as the old saying goes.....

If you can read this thank a teacher
If you can read this in English thank a veteran

diesel96 · 05-26-2008, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trplnkl

' It's worth my time neg rep you, not that you care.
You call yourself newworker, I really doubt you work enough to break a sweat. You have no idea what you are talking about, all you know is what some liberal socialist propagandist has written to further their USA hate agenda. Now little boy , go peddle your crap papers to someone who has no more clue than you do.

There you go with the labels. Like Moreluck says "not everything requires a 'political' comment".
Liberals, conservative, libertarians.... who give a sh!tt what label you use. I personally now liberal Christians and conservative atheists. I personally know republicans who anti-war and democrats that are NRA members! How does that figure in to your vision of liberals and conservatives? Figure that one out.

Anyhow, Memorial Day is about those who served, fought and paid the ultimate price who's loyalty is to the Country and the Commander-in-Chief, reguardless of any political affiliation. It's also about those who come home with physical and emotional scars and seeing to the well being of their own existance and their immediate family.

These men and women who give up years of their life to defend and protect the rest of us come back to society only to ill-treated, whether it be through medical care, psychological counseling, job placement, and financial assistance. It's wrong for any person, but it's only worse when it happens to any of our veterans.

So enjoy your extra day off. You probably deserve it. But just as with any holiday, take care to truly remember the reason behind the season. Take a moment to pause and reflect on those whose day it truly is and thank a veteran, not just on Monday, but on any day. We owe them more than we'll probably ever realize.