Memorial Day

[WriterDom]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16MjXSj-Kek

 

[EmpressFi]

Today..I remember

Sherman Rutledge - my uncle
Troy and Rebecca - I never knew their last names, but friends just the same

My brothers... and my friend who, today, is in Iraq or at least he was a month ago when I last heard from him.

and all the others in harms way..

I'm just trying to be a father
raise a daughter and a son
be a lover to their mother
everything to everyone

Up and at 'em bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed up for success
From my head down to my boots

I don't do it for the money
There's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway

Providing for our future's my responsibility
Yeah I'm real good under pressure
Being all that I can be
I can't call in sick on Mondays
When the weekend's been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays
Sometimes all night long

You can bet that I stand ready
when the wolf growls at the door
Yeah I'm solid, yeah I'm steady
Hey I'm true down to the core

And I will always do my duty
No matter what the price
I've counted up the cost
I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don't wanna die for you
But if dying's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor
Cause freedom don't come free

I'm an American soldier
An American
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy
I'll always do what's right
I'm out here on the front line
sleep in peace tonight
American soldier
I'm an American soldier


Yeah an American soldier
An American
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy
I'll always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines
sleep in peace at night
I'm an American soldier
I'm an American
An American
An American soldier

 

[SweetGigi]

Today I remember my grandfather who fought and defended this world and country in battles and a war he didn't want to be a part of. I remember the men he held as they died and the others who survived... but barely. I remember the past lives of those who fought and died the same way and the souls who fight even now.

I love and am proud of all of you. I thank you and am indebted to you for your sacrifices. Please know that your efforts and gifts are not in vain. You are acts and intentions are the embodiment of honour. Thank you.... all.

 

[be_ignited]

A good friend of mine ships out for Iraq today. I'm terrified for him.

 

[graceanne]

I remember my grandpa who nearly died in two wars. And my uncle who nearly died in one. And my great uncle who died in one.

I also pray for my husband and brother, who leave for Iraq in April of next year.

 

[cherokee_dove]

Today i remember, and will never forget;

My father, who passed away from complications of Agent Orange; received while doing his duty in Vietnam.

My nephew Joseph, who lost his left leg while serving our country two years ago in Iraq. Actually got to see him today, and his artificial leg made him able to stand up and salute "Old Glory" as it passed in our parade. Made me so happy and proud of all who haven't been able to make it home.

My oldest brother, Bobby; who i haven't heard from since his call home to tell us that his unit of the Navy Seals was being sent out on Mission. That day was one day after The Towers were bombed.

Is he alive, and still not able to call home because of the depth of the Mission; or has he died? To this day i still wonder and pray that one day, he will walk through our doors once again. But until i get word one way or another, i continue to try to think positive.

My heart goes out to all those who are serving our country and their families, and my prayers to you all for those passed on and my happiness to those that have been able to make it back safely.

God Bless You All
God Bless America

 

[the captians wench]

My brother has been writing me a lot lately, he never used to reply to my emails. It tells me what kind of state he's in right now.

While we were emailing tho, he told me that less than 2% of americans serve in the military. I haven't gone to research that number, but he says it makes him sad, I told him it should make him all the more proud, his family sure is.

Keep safe bro

 

[caela]

Today my thoughts are with my brothers. One in Iraq, one unknown though he manages to call home about once a month so we know he's all right even if we don't know where he is, and one about to be sent to Iraq next month.

My thoughts and prayers are with all the men and women who serve their country and the families who support and love them.

 

[WriterDom]

While we were emailing tho, he told me that less than 2% of americans serve in the military. :

2% of the total population perhaps. Many don't qualify. Too old, too intellectually challenged, can't make the physical standards, or are in prison on double homicide.

It would be nice if everyone had to give two years doing something. Conservation corp, military, forest fire, border guard, peace corp, pick your label. Just not sure we could afford it.

 

[caela]

2% of the total population perhaps. Many don't qualify. Too old, too intellectually challenged, can't make the physical standards, or are in prison on double homicide.

It would be nice if everyone had to give two years doing something. Conservation corp, military, forest fire, border guard, peace corp, pick your label. Just not sure we could afford it.

I think we could afford it. Would just have to institute it for when people are young. Say two years mandatory service when you turn 18. Hell it would probably help get a lot of kids out of bad neighborhoods and (hopefully) give them some sort of viable skill they could use to work their way through college when they came out or just something they could use as a career period.

It would be nice if they could tie it in somehow with what a person thinks they might want to do. Like if they know they want to go into some sort of medical field have them working in hospitals or have those that want to be carpenters building houses etc.

 

[Netzach]

I think we could afford it. Would just have to institute it for when people are young. Say two years mandatory service when you turn 18. Hell it would probably help get a lot of kids out of bad neighborhoods and (hopefully) give them some sort of viable skill they could use to work their way through college when they came out or just something they could use as a career period.

It would be nice if they could tie it in somehow with what a person thinks they might want to do. Like if they know they want to go into some sort of medical field have them working in hospitals or have those that want to be carpenters building houses etc.

We kind of did that, with the WPA and we did a lot of good with the GI Bill, the cultural and scientific renaissance of the 60's was founded on the GI Bill in many ways. It leveled the playing field of education in a way that few ideas have before or since.

Mostly I find myself thinking about the people who do come home, wishing they could get what they need. Thinking about people too scarred or too cut off to ask for it.

 

[Homburg]

I remember my great uncle Ed, and great uncle Joe, both veterans of WWII. Both bore the scars of Normandy til the day they died. Both died when I was a little guy, but I remember Uncle Ed as this great big blustery fun guy, and Uncle Joe as quiet and genial.
I remember my paternal grandfather, who fought in the Korean War.
I remember my friend, Dick, the father of one of my best friends, that passed away recently, a Viet Nam vet.

And I think about the stories Dick told of Nam, my friend Chuck, my buddies dad Frank, and all the other Nam vets I knew, and how many brothers they lost over there.

And I am thankful that every time my Dad went away to some awful place, he came back.

And I think about all those young men and women over there now. My buddy Redd is on a ship in the Gulf, and it's an amphib assault ship, so who knows. My friend Greg, son of Dick mentioned above, who just got back from Iraq where he saw combat. He's a surgeon, for fuck's sake, and he still hadn't held his three month old daughter. I'm wondering when they are going to send him back. He's a brilliant trauma doc, and they need people like him over there, but... But everybody over there is somebody's friend or son or daughter or husband or wife or father or mother...

I don't care about politics. I just want the coffins to stop coming back home full of what is left of our men and women.

 

[Homburg]

Mostly I find myself thinking about the people who do come home, wishing they could get what they need. Thinking about people too scarred or too cut off to ask for it.

Reading about the conditions in the overflow wards of Walter Reed made my blood run cold.

 

[EmpressFi]

Not only the physical wounds but the mental ones. I know my friend, every time he comes back, has to relearn how to deal with the "real" world and loses a bit more of himself...

 

[caela]

Not only the physical wounds but the mental ones. I know my friend, every time he comes back, has to relearn how to deal with the "real" world and loses a bit more of himself...

This is the thought that scares me more than any other when it comes to my brothers. Any physical wound I know they could deal with...it's the mental scars they may carry that make my gut clench with fear for them.