Sunday, May 29, 2016

Memorial Day 2016

Memorial (simple definition):

* created or done to honor a person who has died or to remind people of an event in which many people died
Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of Memorial:

1:  serving to preserve remembrance :  commemoritive
2:  of or relating to memory

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Memorial Day
Noun
1)      a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered, traditionally observed on May 30 but now officially observed on the last Monday in May.

               Ironically, to most of us Memorial Day actually means: 1) the whole lazy summer lies ahead, filled with promise, and 2) We can party like it’s 1999! Neither of these are true for those who gave their lives.

        Americans have traditionally been an independent lot, though, sadly, that is changing rapidly now. They have also been a people that believed almost anything was possible through hard work. They were cheerful, yet serious. Most of all, they believed in freedom. And sacrificing oneself for one’s fellow man, if needed. Even if that fellow was overseas.
        From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, World War’s I & II, on through the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, the First Gulf War and today’s War on Terror, the members of the American military have performed magnificently, exhibiting valor and class, dignity and discretion.
        Over the decades, Americans have willingly gone all over the globe to help their allies repel invaders, defeat tyranny and promote democracy and self-rule. Never in the annals of human history has a country sent its troops to so many nations, expended so much blood and treasure- and promptly left these nations to rule themselves as they wished, independent and free. In several cases, the totalitarian countries Americans defeated were given massive aid and materiel to help them get back on their feet, with the only requirement a promise not to invade their neighbors again once they had done so. After helping defeat Hitler , Mussolini and Tojo, they won the Cold War versus the Soviet Union.

              President Abraham Lincoln said of the climactic battle of the American Civil War, The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” Ironically, we have remembered the Gettysburg Address, but we are forgetting those who sacrificed- and the reasons why they did. Let’s all enjoy our cook-outs and campers, our boats and our hammocks tomorrow. But, as we do, let’s put down our coolers and yard games… and raise our glasses in a toast to the remarkable men and women who have given so much: “Thank you! We hereby highly resolve that you shall not have died in vain.”

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              More than 218,000 American servicemen are buried overseas in countless cemeteries in numerous countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Italy, Luxembourg and the Phillipines, to name a few.

                                                                           



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