Appreciation and respect for our military service-members are at the cornerstone of the Treehouse. Every day for over ten years we begin our daily prayers with our fallen national heroes in mind. Through the years we have also lost veteran members who are part of the Treehouse family. We have cried together, held time together and sometimes just quietly sat beside each-other to eliminate the loneliness…. No words needed.
However, we would also like the opportunity to share our appreciation this special weekend; and we want our veteran Treepers to know just how much they are valued and cherished.
Before we enter a day of solemn thoughtfulness and reflection, I would like to ask all military Treepers to stand and be recognized so that we may say “Thank You” this Memorial Day. If you, or a member of your family past or present, is a member of the veteran community, or if you have lost someone close who was a veteran, please share a brief hello.
To the extent you are comfortable, please stand and be recognized in the comments section so that we may honor you and your family.
God Bless.
We love you…
Steadfast
Thank you Sundance. Always remember because some of us can never forget.
Whether the conflict was recent or long past, we will remember and feel the loss. My husband was 8 when his father did not come home from the war. He lies in one of the many military cemeteries in Europe. His mother never remarried. My husband has not seen his father’s grave in person. We can honor these wonderful people by being the best informed citizens we can be, loving freedom as our founders asked us to do. inform yourself, read the constitution, learn how the federal govt works so you can share with others. We will have the strength and purpose we need because we simply must.
Thank you for this. It says his service and sacrifice, and all others has not been squandered.
Spoken like a true Patriot and as your last sentence spoke…..We must!
There is no other alternative.
A big thank you, Sundance, from 2 retired Air Force vets. This site is absolutely the best. My hubby was a helicopter driver. I was aircraft maintenance and logistics.
I am tipping a horn of beer to all of the honored. I think of their sacrifice everyday.
They will live forever.
USAF 1993-2013
May God richly bless all those who laid down their lives for us all.
Honor them…remember them!
Remembering two acquaintances who died in Vietnam and a Marine cousin who, although he returned, had a severely disabled son due to agent Orange. Also, thanks to my husband, a Vietnam era Army lieutenant.
“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each and every vet who died protecting it.”- Unknown
And the Federal Agents of ICE, Border Patrol, and US Customs who defend this nation from within its own borders.
Very Nice, Sherry! We all will never forget.
A short story. This Friday past, I drove 175 miles to visit the graves of my family and pay respect for their service as I do couple times a year. I arrived about 5:Pm and saw a line of cars along the pathway thinking it must be a funeral service, but so late. As i walked to the Veteran’s section I saw a man walking toward my grandfathers’s grave with an American flag. i hollered to him and said that’s my grandfather’s grave, can I place the flag? He said sure. We talked and he was a volunteer along with dozens of others all ages placing flags at all grave sites. VFW, AMVETS, AMLegion etc. He asked about my grand father and I told him he was a ‘doughboy’ WWl and served a couple years in France. He said he had been doing this service for years and the first time he actually learned specifics about one of the Vets. Really impressive he said. I answered, come with me and I will show you my great-grandfather’s cross from the SP/Am war and my Dad (WWll). He introduced me to some of the Vets leading the effort and i thanked them all. One of them said, And we will do it for you too someday! I said thanks, that may well be, as i was USArmy myself. How extraordinary to arrive just at the moment that fellow was going to decorate my grandfather’s grave. ‘Gramps’ must of got a chuckle!
Quite extraordinary to arrive just as he was decorating your grandfather’s grave.
The connection between generations makes us human. Grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren and beyond: we owe the past generations and seek to bless the future generations.
It was a divine appointment.
What a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing…
A beautiful sight, to see Our Awesome Flag, placed with honor on a soldiers resting place. SAD, YET SO MOVING, THE SACRIFICE AND THE STRENGTH each Possessed. MAY WE NEVER FORGET TO CARRY FORWARD THEIR STRENGTH! MY dad, WWII..Airbourne, never cried, always strong, silent type, enlisted at 17, never afraid of anything!!
3 NEWPHEWS, Marine, Airforce, and Army!! Newphew just home this week after one year in Qatar..And My awesome sister..Retired Army!!
Their Hero..Dad/Grandpop.
Rest easy Dad..1925-1998
Thank you SD, for your good heart!!
God bless you for sharing! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I honor your family who served and am grateful for your service!
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Checked in this morning (as I do several times a day) and saw the awesome likes. Thanks all, we are a kindred spirit. Tried to add a PIX of this section adorned with Christmas wreaths last Christmas. This is an astonishing group of volunteers that decorate Vet’s gravestones. Been going on for several years now. Begun by ONE woman from Maine when she noticed how empty the graves of the Vets were when visiting one Christmas. Now, millions of wreaths are laid each Christmas thanks to donations from so many. ONE WOMAN! Egad, what blessings among us?
I am a veteran of the Cold War. I will stand, but not to be recognized. We have Veteran’s Day for that. I will stand and salute the colors to honor and remember those who did not come back, and those who have stood their final formation. For me, my late father who did come back. He was a B-17 pilot and flew 35 combat missions over Europe with the 447th Bomb Group.
https://www.447bg.com/
The things they Carried….
They carried P-38 can openers and heat tabs,watches and dog tags,insect repellent, gum, cigarettes, Zippo lighters, salt tablets, compress bandages, ponchos, Kool-Aid, two or three canteens of water, iodine tablets,sterno, LRRP- rations, and C-rations stuffed in socks. They carried standard fatigues, jungle boots, bush hats, flak jackets and steel pots. They carried the M-16 assault rifle. They carried trip flares and Claymore mines, M-60 machine guns, the M-70 grenade launcher, M-14’s, CAR-15’s, Stoners, Swedish K’s, 66mm Laws, shotguns, .45 caliber pistols, silencers, the sound of bullets, rockets, and choppers, and sometimes the sound of silence.They carried C-4 plastic explosives, an assortment of hand grenades, PRC-25 radios, knives and machetes. Some carried napalm, CBU’s and largebombs; some risked their lives to rescue others. Some escaped the fear, but dealt with the death and damage. Some made very hard decisions, and some just tried to survive. They carried malaria, dysentery, ringworm, jungle rot and leaches. They carried the land itself as it hardened on their boots.
They carried stationery, pencils, and pictures of their loved ones – real and imagined. They carried love for people in the real world and love for one another. And sometimes they disguised that love: “Don’t mean nothin’! “They carried memories. For the most part, they carried themselves with poise and a kind of dignity. Now and then, there were times when panic set in, and people squealed or wanted to, but couldn’t; when they twitched and made moaning sounds and covered their heads and said “Dear God” and hugged the earth and fired their weapons blindly and cringed and begged for the noise to stop and went wild and made stupid promises to themselves and God and their parents, hoping not to die.They carried the traditions of the United States Military, and memories and images of those who served before them. They carried grief, terror, longing and their reputations. They carried the soldier’s greatest fear: the embarrassment of dishonor. They crawled into tunnels, walked point, and advanced under fire, so as not to die of embarrassment. They were afraid of dying, but too afraid to show it.They carried the emotional baggage of men and women who might die at any moment.They carried the weight of the world.
THEY CARRIED EACH OTHER.
Author Unknown
Dang, sand in my eyes..
“…….THEY CARRIED EACH OTHER.”
Thank you for that, it was great.
Which makes what is happening in this country today even more disturbing. Father-in-law was Army and a POW in Germany for 15 months in WWII before the Russians freed them. He lived that and many in his unit did not survive. He died still living that nightmare with severe PTSD. My father was a radioman in a troop spotting reconaisance plane over China, where he suffered frostbite while the pilot dodged Japanese Ki-43’s. Memorial Day was especially important to those two great men, so it is especially important to all of our family.
Meant to add a shout out to my FIL’s older brother who recently turned 101 and was in the Navy serving during the assaults on Okinawa and the Philippines among others. One of the finest men I have ever met. Thankfully, he survived as he has been an inspiration to many through the years. Many of his buddies did not make it home.
Beautiful; thank you.
Strong Men!! Heavy hell.
A writing of truth.
Crying
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”—Mark Twain
hubby is retired Flight Surgeon – served at SAC base Mt Home Id long long ago. We salute all past veterans and those presently serving.
There really are not enough words – but Thank You for your Service will have to suffice
God Bless America and Keep Her Safe
thanks to all of you
That’s great…when I was Departing the Vietnam War as an Aerial Combat Photographer… I had orders to report to Mt. Home AFB for my final assignment… I had less that 1 year left in my enlistment and the US Air Force decided it wasn’t Financially sensible to reassign troops in the US who had less than 1 year remaining… so I got out 9 months early and never got to meet your younger Husband !
God Bless you both !
Active service is certainly a necessity to keep a nation free ….the real heroes are those who lost their lives in defense of the reality of the freedom America affords us all….I get a bit chippy when those who have not served attached the “hero” moniker to any active service member…I reserve that honor for those who have performed above and beyond their normal service duties
with rare exceptions (one being branch of service),
in the days of the draft, one had very little, if any, choice about how and where one served.
you might be assigned as a mechanic to the motor pool,
or you might be the tail gunner on a bomber.
very different survival rates.
the point is that those who served went into the unknown and did their assigned duty as needed.
PDJT has noted, quite correctly, in his comments about a certain arizona senator, that the term “hero” has been subject to misuse.
well, my uncle was a bona fide war hero, with a ream of medals and commendations to his credit.
for four solid years, starting in england,
if there was a hot spot in WWII, he was there.
but you’re right, he was one of the lucky ones – he made it back.
still, it was the everyday g.i. who supplied his equipment, weapons, transportation, rations, gear, etc., and who did so without fanfare, who helped make that possible.
i’m not saying this well, and sorry to be long winded, but to me, no matter their job, all of our honorable service personnel are heroic.
on a personal note, i don’t know much about my two grandfather’s WWI service, except that one was in france.
as far as i know, they never talked about it.
i know more about my dad’s WWII service,
but it was only a few months before he passed that he could finally verbalize some of what he had seen.
i think the hardest for him was when a pilot did not make speed and crashed into the sea on takeoff.
i think it was tough for him to reconcile how young they all were – and he was about the same age!
(i also thank every riveter, the ship builder, and outfitter for building a vessel that could take the damage his did and still stay afloat.)
remarkable people.
so, thank you, kroesus, your comment prompted a lot of thought.
i just believe that those who perform their normal service duties enable those in the position to serve above and beyond the support to do so.
we were called on to do beyond what a civilian would do often but it was always a “part of the job” and while we were doing our duty to preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States, we were not ourselves covered under its provisions while in uniform….it is a different kind of beast and requires conformity, allegiance, and loyalty to the cohort and country to properly do one’s duty….I have heard it often said that the brave who are now departed during their service did it more from the love of their fellow servicemen than any other cause….you do develop a certain camaraderie from shared sacrifice and service but when we discuss sacrifice due to military service let us not forget the families at home without whose support the servicemen could never perform their grueling and often dangerous work
Memorial Day is for those who served and never got to take off their uniform. They paid the ultimate price in battle. I pay tribute to my Maternal Uncle who died in late Dec. 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. He never returned home, he’s buried on foreign soil in an American military cemetery.
I also pay solemn tribute to all veterans. like my Uncle, who paid the same price in service to their country, the Flag, and the US Constitution. May God be with them always.
Some of those men wore blue or green and died within our own borders. I refer to the great men and women of the US Border Patrol, ICE, and Customs. Let us not forget them either.
As a husband to a DAR member wife, our families lineage goes back to the very beginning and still goes on today.
Thank you, Sundance!
My Father-in-law and 4 of his brothers served in WWII(Army), my dad during Korean conflict(Coast Guard), hubby served in Navy, BIL and SIL in Air Force, son in Marines. All proud of their service. I enjoyed my time as a Navy wife.
For the souls of those who gave their lives fighting for liberty: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Real All American Families…GOD BLESS YOU ALL !
Thank You Sundance–We must never forget the sacrifices of the many people, their families and loved ones. That is why we must hold on to holidays such as Memorial Day.
Became a music fan of Costner when I heard this song and then the reason for the writing brings tears to one’s eyes. When Costner was doing his interview he said the writer was walking in a southern cemetery realizing how many Civil War soldiers had died on just one day.
Always remembering Costner’s words for the Fort Knox Memorial Service, especially thoughts of angels there
“Costner and Modern West sung the song on April 14, 2012 at a ceremony in which a memorial was dedicated in honor of five soldiers from Fort Knox, Kentucky, who had been killed in Afghanistan. “This loss of a child, a husband, a daughter… we know that a song can’t heal that,” Costner said during the performance. “But, ‘When the Angels Came Down,’ that’s what we like to think, that when our loved one was suffering the most, that angels covered them, (took) away their fear and took away the pain. And, if we can live with that idea, I think we can all sleep a little better.”
Thank you Sundance and all Treepers.
USMC. Nam Vet. 3 Tours.
My brother. Army. Nam Vet. 2 Tours.
Oldest brother. Navy. Nam Vet. 2 Tours.
My father. Army Air Corps. WWII Vet. 3 1/2 years.
My father-in-law. Navy. WWII Vet. 3 years.
My uncle. Army. WWII Vet. 3 1/2 years.
My grandfather. Army. WWI Vet. 2 years.
Both my grandmother’s brothers. Army. WWI Vets. 2 years each.
Thank you??
Just Remember this about all American Veterans….
ALL OF US GAVE SOME….
SOME OF US GAVE ALL !
God bless you all❤???
“For the fallen and their memories, of course..
But also for YOU! You AMERICAN BADASSES who brought their memories and stories home to, and for us!..
For those who put themselves in harm’s way..”
May God Bless You,
Ever Grateful,
skipper
Thank you, Sundance. Thank you very much for all you do, and this wonderful site.
I was Army. I am the sixth of nine generations with military experience in my paternal line. Countless other military ancestors in other lines of my family. I wish I had known more of this about my family history while I was in the Army.
I am thankful to have served, and I stare in disbelief as liberals try to destroy this country that countless millions of people, by the Grace of God, built.
May God thwart their plans.
May God Bless America.
US Air Force, US Army, US Navy, US Marine, and US Coast Guard
Know your sacrifice was not in vain
You are a true American and noble Patriot
You are my Heroes
Rest In Peace
Nor was the sacrifice of our great Agents of ICE, Customs, and Border Patrol who have died defending this nation against an invasion on our own soil, my father among them.
Honor First.
To all of Our Fallen Heroes and all those that have serve Our Country to keep Us safe and Free
Thank You from the bottom of my Heart
God Bless
Thank you for always remembering the real meaning of Memorial Day…we are a Gold Star family and this holiday has a very personal meaning to all of us….our handsome son, CPT Robert Bager, was critically wounded in a training accident in May 2005 in Germany a few months after returning from his first tour in Iraq 2003-2004. Despite heroic efforts by his doctors and his strong resolve and fight to live, he ultimately lost that final battle in September, 2005 at BAMC. He was 25.
Not a day goes by that we don’t remember him and miss him. We were blessed to be able to say goodbye, unlike so many other Gold Star families…
Many Americans today just Do Not Understand the cost of freedom, both to the servicemembers and to the families left behind. It saddens my heart when I see so many young people who are so clueless to the sacrifices of so many….
My faith has kept me strong and my love of my country has not diminished. I pray every day for our country and for the renewal of pride and patriotism for this great nation. And this weekend particularly, I pray for my son and all his comrades, past and present who made the ultimate sacrifice. And I pray for God’s Grace and strength for their families.
God bless all the Treepers…
I am so sorry for your loss, your strength and beautiful love of your son shines so bright❤?
My mother’s first boyfriend gave her a plastic rose when he left to become a sailor….. She kept that rose her entire life,,, and I think about that young man, who died at Pearl Harbor. I wish I knew his name.. All gave some, some gave all… My deepest gratitude for their sacrifice.. Rest in peace, heroes all.
I’m one of tens of thousands of Canucks who volunteered during the Vietnam war. Joined the USMC and did a tour in the “NAM”. Went back home, and because Canada has no Marine Corps, I wound up jumping out of airplanes. June the 6th, some friends and I will be riding to Siffleur Falls in the mountains of Alberta for a d-day ceremony at the 1st canadian para battalion’ cairn.
Semper Fi and Ex Coeleus
Thank u Sundance for this. My Dad God bless him in heaven he served in the Pacific theatre in WW2. Thankfully came back to USA. Shameful False VP Kamala Harris did not acknowledge our military & veterans
“Tears are the heart talking……when there are no words.”
I’m sorry if I can’t credit the author but whoever it was…they surely hit the bullseye.
May all those who fought for our Constitutional values not have died in vain but somehow know that We the People still weep for them, honor them and know that we will NEVER EVER forget what they gave up so we could be FREE!
Happy Memorial Day to Sundance and his band of Merry Admins and to all those still hanging on a old branch!
WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
Father….Army Air Corp officer WWII
Brother……..USAF Major General retired
Me………young Army officer totally dependent on my NCO’s in Vietnam
Thanks to all your family, WR! Your comment about yourself made me smile. My Dad (WWII vet and AF retiree) told me as I went off to OTS, “When you get to your first assignment, find the best NCO’s and follow their advice. They’re the ones who run things.” How right he was!!
My 90 year young Dad served in Army in Korea. He now battles cancer, loves God, loves America, hates commies, and misses Donald Trump.
O I pray for your Dad Think lot of us Treepers have parents that served in the wars. May God bless all
Thank you! May God bless you in a special way, stargirl1946.
Those of us who served, those who supported us while we entered into combat operations, those who gave all , and those who gave parts never to be returned…we know the meaning of serving our country, of raising that right hand and taking the oath.
We may be right, we may be wrong, but we know that when it came time to serve we answered that call, whether it was voluntary or drafted, we did our duty the best we could. Those of us still here know how lucky we are, how we revere those who went before us, and honor those who come after us as fellow brothers and sisters.
We really don’t need the platitude of “thank you for your service” when all we really seek is a knowing smile from those who discover who we are and what we were at one time…willing to give all to protect our loved ones and our country, right or wrong.
We love being an American, plain and simple! This holiday is when we remember those who can’t be here to experience our freedoms. We sense a time will come when we will rendezvous with those who passed before us.
Till then, may God bless America!
Really, really well worded. It captured what I, and I’m sure many others, believe.
Thank you?
Beautifully written
As RHT447 said: “I will stand, but not be recognized”
I honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in freedom.
God bless the fallen!
We appreciate your recognition and support. We will never forget our fallen Brothers and sisters.
God Bless you all and thank you, thank you, thank you!
USAF 1963-1966 (Tan Son Nhut)
USNS Vandenberg 1967-1968
It was, and is my honor to have served.
Thanks Treepers for your kind thoughts 😀
Thank you!
I was in the 1369th. Photo Squadron at Vandenberg AFB 1965 – 1967
Nice to meet you Brother !
I came home in 1975 at the end of the war.
I still cannot stop thinking about the MIA, many were not KIA.
Nobody really tried to bring them home until President Trump.
Without Trump we are all on our own – They just don’t get it.
Biden can pack his bags and take his phony VP with him.
Trump is STILL PRESIDENT !!
Have a Memorable Day.
ty sd
Amen Yes President Trump is still our real President
Don’t forget our Peace Officers and Federal Agents lost in the line of duty.
My father was a veteran of the US Army and Texas Department of Public Safety but lost his life as a Border Patrol Agent defending this nation against an illegal alien invasion that continues over four decades later.
Honor First.
Myself: 24 yrs. Army Aviator. My father: USN Korea. My father in-law: 7th ID Okinawa WWII. Proud to serve this great Nation. Thank you, Sundance! NSDQ.
You Rock Littlebird160
Your family too !
Thank you Sundance! We do appreciate your Treehouse and the opportunity to honor our Military.
My husband and I are immigrants from Canada. Both our fathers served in the Royal Canadian Army in WWII in 1939. My father – in -law served in every theater of war in Eutope as an Army correspondent putting cameras on the boats going over to Juno Beach on DDay, was in the liberation of Paris and was one of three Canadians on the Missouri for the signing of the Peace Treaty and surrender of Japan. He was in Anzio, Italy when his best friend was blown up beside him. He carried the shrapnel in his body until he died in 1981. He volunteered as a Major in the Korean war. A hero in the strife.
My father was a teenager when he signed up and left for England to man the anti aircraft guns in East London, and took part in the liberation of Holland. Holland still sends tulips to Ottawa, Canada every year and they struck another medal to honor the Canadian soldiers before dad died 2006. We did not know that his battalion was on the clean up mission after the DDay operation, picking up all the floating dead bodies. He never told anyone, including my mother, and be cried like a baby watching the 60th Anniversity of DDay on TV mom said. These guys had to suck it up and be tough men. No mental health labels or drugs for them. He was in the occupation of Germany so did not get back home til 1946. 6 years in Europe….
We had one son in the US Air Force and he was honorably discharged after 4 years and is very successful in the private sector.
Currently, we have 3 grandchildren in the US Army. Our eldest just returned from 2 years in Asia and he and 3 Staff Sgts just left us today to visit the Navy Seal Museum / beach in Fort Pierce on their way back to NC. We had our Memorial Day BBQ yesterday. They came in as strangers and left as family.
His sister is a 1st Lieutenant Army nurse in Texas aiming to be a medivac nurse. Their younger brother is taking Mechanical Engineering at University and just joined the ROTC .program. He left last week for basic training for the summer in SC. (Prayers please!) They were all homeschooled into university. A lesson there, I think.
God bless our courageous military for all that they have done, and continue to do, to make our country the great beacon of
hope for this world.
Psalm 91:11
If anyone has a link to an organization supporting the families who wish to visit the overseas cemeteries of their loved ones, please post.
The solemnity of those places of honor will surely salve some of the loss. God bless.
My Best Friend in the US Air Force at Vandenberg, AFB, Calif was a real young kid of 18…On my 1 year anniversary at Vandenberg, my 1st. Sgt. said to me Snail….go up to the Main Gate and pick up a new troop… and come back with him as soon can so he can Report In for Duty. I went and picked Brendan up and after he Reported in my 1st. Sgt told me to get Brendan all settled in and for both of us to report back to him the following afternoon (You should know my Tech Sgt. 1st. Sgt. was also a beer drinking buddy of mine)… I was 20 years old at the time… Frenchie (My 1st. Sgt.) was about 45 or so.
Brendan and I became Best friends… Brendan was a very smart kid…he picked up his job in record time. We were in the Photo Squadron at Vandenberg…and Brendan started off in the Camers Operations Dept. He excelled as a Cameraman… I was already a Cameraman and on Flying Status…which was the top of the line as far as we were concerned…the Prestigue, Flight PAY and much more interesting work.
Brendan was on Flight Status within 1 year…he and I went TDY to different AF Bases to take lessons in the back seat of trainer jets (T-33s) back then to learn how to handle our camera equipment during Dive Boming runs, Straffing runs Etc..
My only problem with Brendan was that he loved to Smoke Pot… I DID NOT !
Brendan and I both got our Orders to go to Vietnam in June of 1967 and Brendan begged me to go to Canada with him…. I COULD NOT DO THAT… and we both left for Vietnam together on Aug. 28 1967. Brendan and I separated as soon as we got to Nam. He was assigned to the Photo Dept. at Danang, Vietnam. I was sent to a B-52 and KC-135 base in Thailand.
In Oct. of that year I got a letter from Brendan begging me to get “Frenchie” to get him the hell out of DaNang (Frenchie was also sent over to SEA (SouthEastAsia) and was still my 1st. Sgt.)
Frenchie told me there wasn’t anything he could do for Brendan.
Brendan signed his letter to me
Brendan (the Flower Soldier)
In Nov. 1967 Frenchie came to my base (Utapao RTAFB Thailand) and told me that Brendan had Killed himself afterhours at his Commander’s Desk to Protest the War !
How do y’all think I have felt about letting my best friend down 55 years ago ?
I could have done more for my buddie… I guess I was just more focused on getting home myself !
GOD BLESS YOU BRENDAN !
Trucker,
Do you think your best friend would want you to bear so much burden, for so many years?
Best,
skipper
Thanks for that Skip…No of course not…
but that’s what makes us DEPLORABLES…
We always try to make things better !
Bless you my new Friend !
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL OF MY DEPLORABLE PATRIOTIC AMERICAN SISTERS AND BROTHERS !
those who do commit suicide (now 22 a day in active service) unburden their troubles but leave them all behind for others to bear….sometimes it is a difficult load to carry but it gives no sympathy and is a demanding burden
Something I have been missing are headstone cleaning updates of the veteran headstones.
Honestly I am not even sure who was doing it but during the craziness the last 2 years I missed seeing the updates.
I thought it was a great year round Memorial Day.
Even thought it would be a worthwhile endeavor when I retire.
Thank you from a grateful citizen for the sacrifices made by our Gold Star families.
Thank you for that.
Thank you Sundance.
Dad, 93, US Navy as were two of his brothers
Uncles on mom’s side US Army. One grunt from Normandy to Germany; one in Air Corps, shot down and spent a year in German POW camp.
I was US Air Force Aerospace Physiology Officer.
Proud of my family and honored to have served myself.
Several years ago I was watching a documentary about D-Day. I remembering being amazed and heartbroken at the same time, as the narrator told how these men – and boys – climbed the cliffs knowing if they did manage to make it to the top alive, they would almost certainly be looking down the barrel of an enemy rifle. And yet they climbed because they loved the country and the people they were fighting for.
I vowed to remember that and honor their sacrifice by fighting for my country in whatever way I could. Little did I know that the day would soon come when I would have to fight back against lockdowns and mask mandates and suppression of speech. It’s a different kind of war, but it is still a war for the freedom we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren. I know the road of resistance is not going to be easy. I pray I will have the strength and courage of those men who fought before.
Thank you to all of you who have given so much so that my family and I could live in a free country. You are not forgotten.
I am beginning to think all active duty military personnel in America should be completely disarmed. Especially after the Pentagon’s Inquisition / Wrong Think Purge of its own troops is complete, who are the remaining military personnel going to shoot at anyway, except for Trump supporting, election honesty questioning and other insurectionist Americans.
My father served on a troop ship in WW I (USNavy; born in 1898, died in 1962), transiting New York to England
my uncle (Army–in the trenches of France in WW I, gassed, and had lifelong issues as a result)
My oldest brother enlisted in the Navy at the tail end of WW II; served as combat photographer in Korea; had a 28 year career that took him to every continent (inicluding 18 months in Antarctica); he flew U-2 Cold War reconnaisance missions over the Finland/Russia border and Cuba (during the missile crisis) serving as navigator and photographer for those flights
A brother – US Navy during the Cold War
A brother – Marines in peace time
A nephew – Vietnam; he died some years ago as a result of cancer that originated with agent orange
A brother-in-law: Air Force during the Cold War
Another brother-in-law: Army during the Cold War
My son – a Marine during the Persian Gulf episodes of the mid-1980s; he was trained to be a radio operator and also saw action as a machine gunner when the speedy-patrol boats that the Iranians used came out to interdict the vessels his group of Marines was on. He dispatched an entire crew of them to their great reward, reporting many months later as he recounted that event, “Mom, I could see their eyes.” ( –the day of this event, the machine gunner who was scheduled to go on that patrol became ill and my son was directed to take his place. He had no choice. He took that Marine’s place and he blew that crew to kingdom come)
My son – served in the Air Force during some quieter years
Two great nephews – Iraq (one of them was a sniper)
Three grandsons have recently served in the Army; two of them honorably discharged; one of them re-upped a couple of years ago, was recently promoted and is presently in training to manage a group of 16 M-1 Abrams tanks.
Sundance THANK YOU!
To all who gave their life so we can be at peace.
To their families: THANK YOU, because you were part of it. ❤️
To ALL service members:
THANK YOU!
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My father-in-law grew up in Mount Carmel, PA ….and his friend was a guy named Jimmy Gavin. Jimmy grew up to be General James Gavin, head of the 82 Airborne and my FIL grew up to be one of those early paramilitary men who flew into Sicily, Italy and then France, under General Gavin.
My FIL never talked about his experiences but at my young age of 22 marrying his daughter I did finally get up the gaul to ask him about Gavin. He told me that General Gavin did an inspection while they were in France and when he came up to my FIL he lowered his salute and said in that upper PA drawl, “Eh, Eddie. How dey treating ya?” My FIL said,”Well, it ain’t home cooking but we both know not to complain!” “HAHA” said Gavin, knowing that Eddie meant the Polish food they both loved.
We never spoke about the war again……and then Eddie died. But at least I got that one glimpse.
60 Years later, my second oldest son would fight with the 2nd 87th, 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan aka Pakistan. He did 3 tours and brought back alot of shit. Like body parts flying off the windshield of Hummers, the stench of death.
These are the things that our “so-called Politicians ‘ need to have thrown in their faces every fing day.
And that is why we need to do something about it.
USMC/RVN-’67-’68.
I had an uncle, my father’s younger brother, who died in WWII, when his plane went down in Italy. And, my father served in the Navy for 23 years and was overseas all during WWII. He was born in 1917 and passed away in 2009.
Thank you, Sundance. May God bless our Military.
My father, WWII Vet, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, critically wounded, Purple Heart recipient, 1923-2008. My husband served in the U.S.C.G. for 23 years.
God bless you and your family. I honor and respect your father and husband for their service to our great nation
Thank you sonoftrump.