Tag: Memorial

Memorial Day (Observed)–2026

Today is Memorial Day (observed) and this will be my only post today for I must attend to the traditional stuff I do on this day.

There are many things that we as Americans should do on this solemn day….it is a day of remembrance not partying.

Ways to honor on Memorial Day….

  • Attend a Memorial Day Ceremony: Many communities organize Memorial Day ceremonies at local cemeteries, memorials, or Veterans’ organizations. Participating in these events provides an opportunity to pay tribute to fallen soldiers alongside fellow citizens and Veterans.
  • Visit a Military Cemetery: Take a moment to visit a Military cemetery in your area and place flowers or flags on the graves of fallen soldiers. This simple act of remembrance is a powerful way to honor their memory and show appreciation for their service.
  • Support Veterans and Military Families: Consider volunteering with organizations that support Veterans and Military families. Whether it’s organizing care packages, providing assistance with job placement, or offering emotional support, there are countless ways to give back to those who have served. Visit our volunteer page if you would be interested in volunteering with us at Soldiers’ Angels. We offer in-person and virtual options!
  • Educate Others: Use Memorial Day as an opportunity to educate others, especially younger generations, about the significance of the holiday and the sacrifices made by our Military personnel. Share stories of valor and heroism to ensure that the memory of our fallen heroes lives on.
  • Moment of Silence: At 3:00 PM local time on Memorial Day, observe a moment of silence to honor the fallen. This simple yet profound gesture is a way to collectively pause and reflect on the sacrifices of those who gave everything for our country.
  • Give a gift in memory of a fallen hero: Soldiers’ Angels, along with countless other Military and Veteran nonprofits across the country, rely on donations in order to continue providing support to current and future generations of military-connected families. Giving a gift in memory of a fallen hero not only helps to memorialize their service but also pays it forward to other Service Members and Veterans who may be in a situation of need.

Just as there are things Americans can do to honor our fallen heroes….there are also things that should NOT be done….

  • Don’t wish someone “Happy Memorial Day.” This isn’t a joyful holiday like Christmas or the Fourth of July. It’s a solemn time set aside to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
  • Don’t thank active-duty service members—at least, not specifically for this day. While we deeply respect and honor those currently serving, Memorial Day is not about them. It’s about remembering the fallen. (We honor all veterans on Veterans Day in November.)
  • Don’t disregard the meaning of the day. It’s easy to let the long weekend become just about barbecues or big sales. But especially after the many conflicts our country has seen in recent decades, we must not let the memory of those who gave their lives become an afterthought.
  • Don’t let politics get in the way of respect. Whether or not we agree with any particular war or military decision, this day isn’t about politics. It’s not a day to glorify war—but to remember its cost and honor those who gave their lives in service.

This day is close to my heart as I always take the time to remember my friends that gave their all in Vietnam.

Please honor the Fallen in a proper manner.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

For The ‘Scum’

Yesterday was Memorial Day and as usual Donny had lots to say……on the day we are suppose to remember our fallen heroes Donny went off the rails about Biden and other stuff that had little to do with our dead.

“Happy Memorial Day!” President Trump wrote on Monday morning. A bit later came the fiery elaboration, reports USA Today: “Happy Memorial Day to all, including the scum that spent the last four years trying to destroy our country through warped radical left minds,” Trump wrote in an all-caps post. He also blasted former President Biden as “incompetent” because of his border policies, which he says continue to be helped by “USA hating judges that is sick, and very dangerous for our country.”

Providing some context to the criticism, the Hill notes that a federal judge on Friday demanded that the White House facilitate the return of a third deported man—after complaining that the deportation “lacked any semblance of due process.” In his Memorial Day post, Trump described such judges as “monsters who want our country to go to hell.” He ended by promising that “America will soon be safe and great again!” Trump will speak later Monday at Arlington.

I worry that Memorial Day is personal to a smaller and smaller number of Americans. As a national community, Americans may no longer have the ability to collectively remember and honor shared sacrifice, because the sacrifice is not shared. The all-volunteer force created a military that is self-selecting. The wars of 9/11 created many veterans who are self-regarding and condescending to those who haven’t served in the military. A 2020 National Opinion Research Center survey found that a full 60 percent of post-9/11 veterans “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the eligible Americans who did not volunteer to serve during wartime should feel guilty, compared to just 43 percent of older veterans and 22 percent of civilians. That is dangerous for the country.

At times, it is as though Americans compete to see who can be the most bombastically patriotic in remembering their war dead. Remembrance should be a solemn acknowledgment of the tragedy of war and the nobility in serving one’s country in its armed forces.

The day is not the time to air some idiotic political bullshit….but that never stopped the moron in the WH.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Memorial Day 2025 (Observed)

First off I would like to wish a wonderful day and a safe one for my readers.

Second we all should take a few moments to remember those that gave their all in the service of their country…..something we seem to forget most times.

I know I will take some time and toast those friends that I lost in Vietnam….My Better Half, Sue, was also a veteran and today is her day in my house….but that is just me.

What would veterans say to Little Donny on this day?

This Memorial Day comes a month after the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, which was largely used to recall the collapse of the entire American project in Vietnam. In short, the failure of the war is now viewed as both a rebuke of the American Exceptionalism myth and the rigid Cold War mentality that had Washington in a vice grip for much of the 20th Century.

“The leaders who mismanaged this debacle were never held accountable and remained leading players in the establishment for the rest of their lives,” noted author and professor Stephen Walt in a RS symposium on the war. “The country learned little from this bitter experience, and repeated these same errors in Iraq, Afghanistan, and several other places.”

Today, after 20 years of those post-9/11 wars, the American people — including many of the veterans who fought there — have seemingly got the message. In poll after poll, they reject the use of force as the first tool in the toolbox. They eschew the idea of prospective war with Iran, and China over Taiwan.

But do our leaders “get it”?

Donald Trump swept into office in 2016 on the idea that he would end “endless” conflict and shared the national disdain for being lied to in order to invade Iraq, and for spreading American troops too thin to fight Washington’s wars of choice overseas. Now in his second term he has made similar exhortations — recently he rebuked the “neocons” who “spent trillions and trillions of dollars failing to develop Kabul, Baghdad, and so many other cities” in his recent Middle East trip.

His Vice President JD Vance is a veteran who has admonished the interventionist impulses of the past. Delivering the commencement speech to West Point’s class of 2025 on Friday, he said his boss wants only to send men and women into conflict with clear goals rather than “undefined missions” and “open-ended conflicts” of the past.

Read on….

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/veterans-memorial-day/

This government is a con job just like most so-called governments…..when making war is more important than a starving child then this country has taken too steps backwards.

People died in service to their nation and that is what we should remember on this day not the unofficial beginning of Summer with BBQ and beer.

This will be my only post today for there are things that I need to do plus it will most likely be a slow day here on IST as others celebrate the day in their own way.

I wish everyone a great day and as always….Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

About Damn Time!

This Sunday I will forego my usual FYI of obscure info and write about something that has taken a very long time coming.

The Great War…..1914-1918….also known as World War One.

Hundred and Six years after the fact the US finally has a memorial to those souls that fought in that horrible war.

World War I casualties
The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I, was around 40 million.
There were 20 million deaths and 21 million wounded. The total number of deaths includes 9.7 million military personnel and about 10 million civilians. The Entente Powers (also known as the Allies) lost about 5.7 million soldiers while the Central Powers lost about 4 million.

What was the US totals?

United States had sustained more than 320,000 casualties in the First World War, including over 53,000 killed in action, over 63,000 non-combat related deaths, mainly due to the influenza pandemic of 1918, and 204,000 wounded.

Think about this…those totals were for approximately 6 months of actual engagement with the enemy.

I bring all this up because there has been very little said these days about this war….it has slipped from memory since there is NO one left to keep the memories alive.

But that has changed (at least I hope it has)….

A 58-foot-long bronze sculpture was unveiled Friday evening as the centerpiece of the National World War I Memorial in Washington, blocks from the White House. “A Soldier’s Journey” follows an unnamed doughboy from the moment he takes his helmet from his daughter and ships out for duty. It traces him through scenes of war, with soldiers fighting alongside nurses tending their injuries, and culminates in a homecoming, the Washington Post reports. “It is a project that represents the everyman, the ones who make this country possible,” said Sabin Howard, the artist.

vents over the weekend will celebrate the unveiling, including musical performances, war reenactments, and displays of World War I vehicles, per NPR. The site, which was dedicated in 2021, incorporated an existing memorial to commanding Gen. John J. Pershing; the Army Band known as “Pershing’s Own” played the national anthem on Friday. The effort to get the memorial to this point took years, made more difficult by the length of time that has passed since the war. A volunteer commission tracked down troops’ family members, lined up donors, and signed up former presidents as honorary co-chairs.

The memorial, in a park at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, includes a peace fountain with an excerpt from Archibald MacLeish’s poem “The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak.” The World War I Centennial Commission said the sculpture, which Howard created over the course of a decade with architect Joe Weishaar, is the largest free-standing high-relief bronze in the Western Hemisphere.

As I said About time….this war has been ignored for way too long.

For anyone that is interested there is a documentary that is excellent…

“Haunting,” “heartbreaking,” and “honest,” are just a few words being used to describe They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson’s documentary compiled from century-old World War I footage. For 21st-century audiences, Jackson adds 3D technology, color, and soldiers’ voices to give the scenes new life.

This was the beginning of the wars they the US keeps fighting….

That is it for me for this Sunday.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Real Memorial Day–30 May

Just my little rant….I believe that Memorial Day should not be moved around it should forever remain on 30 May much like Veterans Day….after all Memorial Day is to honor those that gave their lives in service of their country…..not the best day for massive consumerism.

What do you know of Memorial Day other than you get an extra day off from work?

If you are going to act like this is some sort of special day then you should know what it is and how we got to where we are….

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868,
the head of an organization of Union veterans — the
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established
Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the
graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A.
Logan declared it should be May 30. It is believed the
date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all
over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across
the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The ceremonies centered around the
mourning- draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E.
Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided
over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan
Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers
on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Congressman James Garfield spoke about the solemn occasion. “We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue,” he said.

The GAR said Decoration Day should be observed on May 30 each year because the timing would permit flowers to be in bloom all over the country.

Some local areas observed similar ceremonies starting in 1866. In 1888, Congress passed an act making May 30 a holiday in the District of Columbia. By the start of the 20th century, ceremonies were being held on May 30 around the country. And after World War I, the holiday was expanded to honor all American war fatalities.

The name “Memorial Day” became more commonplace after World War II. But the federal government didn’t officially adopt that name until 1967.

The Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968 moved the holiday to the last Monday in May. Originally, Veterans Day also was in the list of government holidays slated to always be on a Monday, but it was moved back to its original day of November 11 in 1978.

For years, efforts to reestablish the May 30 date by the VFW, the American Legion, and Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii didn’t succeed. Inouye, who died in 2012 at the age of 88, wasn’t just a senior member of Congress. He was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, as a medical volunteer. He later enlisted in the Army and lost an arm serving his country while in Italy.

But the proponents of Memorial Day’s original meaning argue that it should always be on May 30, no matter the day of the week, as a way for more people to recall why people made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.

I am one of those vets that thinks it should be on the day, 30 May….a time to remember the honored dead and not the time for a cut-rate mattress.

Please take some time to remember those that gave their all for this country and their families that lost so much.

This will be more only post today for I have some memories to work on……

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Memorial Day–2022

This will be my only post today….a family BBQ….fun, food and family….a great day all around.

Today the nation has a holiday and time to remember those who died in defense of their way of life (or so we are told)……and for the first time in a long while the day is observed on the actual day.

I short historical background on the day….

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history

I will spend the day remembering all those from my unit that did not make it home from Vietnam….and my time in country….

Memorial Day 2022: Historical Quotes, Messages, Status and Sayings - National Day 2022

My first tour was 1967…..and in the beginning it was culture shock….to go from sock hops, sit-ins and parking trying to get my freak on to heat, rain, mud, bullets and fire fights.

Every US soldier was issued the latest weapon the M-16…a piece of crap…..so after a few months of lugging a useless weapon through the jungle I decided on another weapon….since I already carried a .45 I decided on a relic from the not so distant past….the M3 or as it was called in WW2 the ‘grease gun”……I carried this because that way I had to only carry one type of ammo…it’s rate of fire was slower than the M16 but far more dependable….her name was “Gertty”.

For those too young to remember anything remotely about the Vietnam War and those that gave all we could…..my weapon of choice…..of course if you know anything about me I will have to throw a little history in……

This M3 submachine gun, pictured with its sling and a 30-round stick magazine, was manufactured by Guide Lamp, a division of General Motors.

No one ever used the words “graceful” or “elegant” to describe the M3 submachine gun. Instead, those soldiers, sailors and Marines who carried it called the M3 a “plumber’s nightmare” or “the cake decorator.” Its passing resemblance to a mechanic’s lubrication tool, however, led to the weapon’s most common and enduring nickname: “grease gun.”

Designed as an inexpensive replacement for the iconic Thompson submachine gun, this utilitarian firearm overcame early reliability problems to capably serve U.S. forces and their allies for over half a century. Most servicemen who used one in battle admitted the grease gun was an adequate, if not beloved, close-combat weapon, its cheap, ugly appearance notwithstanding.

As early as 1940, officials in the United States Army Ordnance Department began to prepare for the enormous rearmament program their nation would have to undertake if it was to win victory in the approaching world war. Mass production of individual weapons, then, became an industrial priority.

While Ordnance tended to focus its efforts on such shoulder arms as the semiautomatic M1 rifle, certain specialized troops such as paratroopers and vehicle crewmen often required something else: a compact, hard-hitting submachine gun for short-range work. The current-issue Thompson, designed during World War I, met this requirement but had its issues. Put plainly, the Tommy Gun required too much time, steel, and money to manufacture in large numbers. Even a simplified wartime version called the M1A1 cost taxpayers $45.00 per unit ($660.00 in 2021).

The Controversial M3 Grease Gun

A short stroll down memory lane for me…..

Please take a few moments in your day to remember all those that gave all they could for their country.

Happy Memorial Day Wishes 2022: Status, Messages and Quotes - RangRiwaj

Be Well….Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–09August21

Biden has asked permission of the people of the 9/11 Memorial to visit…..it will be a typical speech and photo op that could well make it into some re-election video…..now the people have responded…..

President Biden has been informed that he won’t be welcome at events marking the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks unless he declassifies documents that could tie Saudi Arabian leaders to the terrorism. More than 1,800 relatives of victims, first responders, and attack survivors have signed onto the demand, NBC reports. “We cannot in good faith, and with veneration to those lost, sick, and injured, welcome the president to our hallowed grounds until he fulfills his commitment,” their statement says. The group maintains that Biden promised as a presidential candidate to release information but has since fallen silent on the issue and been unresponsive to its requests. The White House said Friday that staffers have met with members of the group. “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones on 9/11,” a spokesperson said.

The 9/11 Commission did not find evidence that Saudi leaders were involved in the attack, though its report called Saudi Arabia a “problematic ally.” But since the commission ended its work in 2004, the statement says, “much investigative evidence has been uncovered implicating Saudi government officials in supporting the attacks.” The commission did find that Saudi nationals funded al-Qaeda, per NBC. The Saudi government has denied involvement; 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 terrorists were Saudis. Some members of the group believe that Saudi leaders knew the attack, which killed about 2,500 people, was planned but didn’t try to stop it. Saudi Arabia, which did not issue a comment immediately Friday, faces lawsuits for billions of dollars from victims’ families, per the Guardian. Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump also would not declassify the records.

Bully for them!

It is high time the the US STOP caudling the murderous regimes like Saudi Arabia and Israel.

I say screw Biden until he releases those documents regardless what they say.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–15Mar17

I Like Ike!

Probably if the GOP had a candidate of the caliber of Dwight D. Eisenhower they could never be beat.  War hero and statesman an icon of the Cold War.  Plus they cannot even come together to honor the man for his service to the country.  But like the plight of most veterans…NO one cares.

In 1999 the permission for a memorial to Eisenhower was approved and so far it has been nothing but a waste of time……

Few seem to really like it, but for now it seems to be limping along to somewhere. That sentiment describes the latest chapter in the saga of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. It was commissioned by Congress in 1999, and eventually given a site on a public square in Washington a few blocks from the Capitol. But almost two decades later, the project has yet to even break ground—or even finalize a design.

In February, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) allowed three proposed changes to the Eisenhower Memorial design, giving the oft-stalled project permission to proceed a step toward an uncertain future. The 16-year-old memorial project is carried forward not so much by momentum as it is by resignation.

Source: Will Eisenhower Ever Have a Fitting Memorial? | The American Conservative

This is not surprising for the Repubs try to forget Ike instead they want to fixate on Reagan…..which I think is a mistake…..more progress was happening under Ike than any time during the rule of Ronnie.

Draw the bath water…my day is done….see everyone tomorrow….be well, be safe….chuq

Is It Blind Consumerism?

There are certain days in American history that stand out among others and they hold a special place in our memories…..days like July 4, December 7 and 9/11…….and then we have personal dates that we hold in our historical memory like anniversaries, birthdays, etc…..mine is 14 October 1967…..my first day in country in the Republic of South Vietnam….means nothing to anyone but me……..

I recently wrote a post on the opening of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum…..it was not met with much enthusiasm….I had a few that disliked it so much that I was accused of being unfeeling and callous…..you see I wrote that in my opinion it was an experiment in profitability not one of remembrance…..that consumerism was invading the whole situation.

But since I wrote my original post the site has had its grand opening……and guess what?  Some of the families were not too impressed with the policies…….

The National 9/11 Memorial and Museum opened last week to survivors, first responders, and relatives of victims—and some of them were shocked to find a gift shop on the premises hawking things like mugs, mousepads, and key chains. At the shop, which will help fund the museum’s operating cost, visitors can buy a “Darkness Hoodie” printed with an image of the Twin Towers for $39, “Survivor Tree” earrings for $64, or silk scarves printed with 1986 photos of Manhattan for $95, the New York Post finds.

“To me, it’s the crassest, most insensitive thing to have a commercial enterprise at the place where my son died,” says Diane Horning, whose 26-year-old son’s remains were never recovered. (Thousands of unidentified remains are in a repository in the museum building.) She calls the museum “essentially our tomb of the unknown,” and slams the gift shop as “a money-making venture to support inflated salaries.” Other visitors, however, say they understand the museum’s need to raise funds, reports Gothamist, which notes that even the Holocaust Museum has a gift shop. NBC News reports that it’s expected to take $63 million to operate the site each year, a cost that will also be defrayed by its $24 entry fee.

My suspicions have been realized……the site should be a remembrance of the casualties not how much money can be made off off the endeavor…..but then that is just my thoughts.  I think this is far more disrespectful than anything that I wrote….

I do not expect those that took offense on my previous post to pay much attention…..after all they have their little brains full of Benghazi bullsh*t and that is more important than this blind consumerism!