Memorial Day is here. Remember, it is a day to HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO DIED WHILE SERVING in the U.S. military. It's not a day to be thanking everyone wearing a uniform -- be it green, camo, or blue -- for their service. doing otherwise detracts from the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Rest In Peace.
“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.”
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
Scooter wrote:Let's see how Trump finds a way to make his Memorial Day speech all about him.
As I posted earlier, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he comes up with something like this:
"Today we are here to honor the sacrifices of those soldiers who fell in battle defending out country...
Soldiers who I am sure, if they were alive today would have voted for me big league, (just as all my current soldiers did) and they would have made my historic landslide victory even more historic...
And I also know something about sacrifice and battle, believe me...
The sacrifice these brave heroes made is not unlike the sacrifice I made in giving up my previous life to become President...
And the battles they faced were very much like the battles I face every day with the lying, fake news, enemy of the people media...
Many people have said that the sacrifices I've made and the battles I've faced are even greater than those faced by our fallen soldiers...And that may be true, I don't know, it's just what many people have said...
But that doesn't mean that these guys weren't heroes too, so it's right that we should honor them..."
Saturday nite I watched the 'National Memorial Day Concert' from the lawn of the capital on PBS tv. There were constant references to the wounded and maimed still living among us. Nothing at all about the Battle of Gettysburg which was the origin of this holiday, or any reference to any conflict before the cliched 'greatest generation'
The program ended with the official songs of the various military branches. I recognized the songs for the marines, sailors, fliers. But the Official Army song threw me. Wikipedia tells me it was officially adopted and adapted in 1956. I knew it as the Field Artillery March, written in 1907 by Edmond Gruber. It includes a verse:
Was it high, was it low,
Where the hell did that one go?
As those caissons go rolling along
Was it left, was it right,
Now we won't get home tonight
And those caissons go rolling along.
The official 1956 words are pap clearly written by a committee of REFMs
My flag is flying outside my front door. Remember, if the strips are vertical, the blue field still should be in the upper left corner as you look at it.
73 years ago (in a few days) my father was on a beach in Normandy. He never spoke about it much. 6 June 1944.
100 years plus a few days ago (May 12, 1917) my grandfather was wounded at Arras, in France. He spent five months is hospital and carried a gimpy leg for the rest of his life. He never spoke about it much. Fifty years ago (1967) I went with him to his last regimental reunion. We went to see his batman (a sort of officer's servant) who was clearly not well. My grandfather was by no means wealthy but I saw folding money changing hands. My grandfather told me that there was no need to mention this to my grandmother.
In summer 1961 I was 12; and we were on a trip home from Montreal, where we then lived. We stayed with a old lady who lived down the street from my grandparents - she was then 89 or 90. As a young woman she had been in the crowd in London for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (60th anniversary on the throne) in 1897. And as a young girl in the 1870s, she had an uncle who had been at Waterloo, 18 June 1815, when Wellington defeated Napoleon and sent him off to St Helena. I know she said 'uncle' but I am guessing he was really her great-uncle. Luckily he did talk about it at least a little.
I know of course that Memorial Day is for American military who did not return. But on this day and on November 11th, I always think of my father, my grandfather, and Mrs. Watson's (great) uncle. Thank you gentlemen.
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
