Memorial Day

Don D

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-01-04 AT 09:31AM (CST)[/font][br][br]I sincerely hope all of you had a productive Memorial Day and found time to think about or celebrate its meaning. I'm told that Memorial Day started in Columbus, Mississippi several years after the War Between The States. A group of ladies picked the day to celebrate the lives of the boys and men who died on the Confederate side. Several years after that, they began to celebrate the lives of ALL who died, regardless of 'side', understanding that all their souls were precious. It spread like wildfire and soon it was a nationwide day of remembrance for all who had died in any war. I hope you posted a flag of some description on your property and watched an 84 year old guy on television with a silly cap on or fondly remembered someone you knew who never came home from Nam alive, or more recently, Iraq or Afghanistan. Our paper celebrated the lives of the fourteen Mississippi boys (so far) whose souls departed this life in Iraq this year. Here's a salute to hoping next year on this day we will not have our boys and girls engaged in conflict anywhere and that they'll all come home safely and we can concentrate only on hamburgers.

ray a

I believe it became nationally recognized in 1868 and was first called Decoration Day. Sunday, a local church had a special memorial service in a small park across from the church. A brass ensemble I play in, played several patriotic numbers for the program including "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America".

mushroomHR

As a Vietnam-era Veteran I thank the ladies of Mississippi for starting this day of remembering all veterans who proudly served their country.

Parabeagle001

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 05-31-04 AT 08:49PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Now relaxing after having a Gardenburger at my brother's BBQ. Prior to that, I visited the Oregon Vietnam Veteran's Memorial at Washington Park here in Portland, saw some F-15s from my old unit fly over and reflected on something for which I will ever be grateful, yet somehow regretful: I somehow managed to spend an entire career, 1974-1999, without having really been in harm's way. I am doubly blessed in that I have known many who have gone to war, but never known anyone who has not come back safely. My hat is off to all those who preceded us and all those who will follow us. Memorial Day takes on a special meaning this year for the 19 Oregonians who are (so far) KIA in the recent Iraqi conflict.

edit: And, no, Don, you cannot deep-fry a Gardenburger and they don't make it in the shape of a turkey. x;-)

sonny

Joyous and Memorial day has always been a bit of an oxymoron in our family, but we try and, your salute says it all, Don. This was in our paper over the weekend (in a real estate ad of all things) but I wanted to share it with you guys. I had not seen it before.

"It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us Freedom of the Press.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer,
who has given us Freedom to demonstrate.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial;

And it is the Soldier-who salutes the flag,
Who serves the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag-
Who allows the protester to burn the flag. "

Thanks to all of you who served and very special thoughts to those of you who still have family and friends serving.

We have one employee who just got back, but 2 more called up.

marc

Excellent thoughts. Our freedom(s) has been purchased with the blood of patriots.