jerrybob
Elite Member
Happy Memorial Day to all! Please remember the reason why we celebrate this day and give thanks to those who provided the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Thanks to the hero's!!!
Memorial Day
- Thread starter jerrybob
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Domush
Platinum Member
We aren't at work? :thumbsup:
That may be difficult without some serious smelling salts. :laughing:
OP
jerrybob
Elite Member
I laugh at most things but....your attempt at humor is not one of them. Lost two uncles in WWII, a cousin in Korea and a best buddy in Vietnam. I thank them and the other fallen soldiers for their sacrifice. I only wish they had the day off and could smell the salt!
Cat_Driver
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What I'll Be Doing for Memorial Day, reading what this guy went through.
Memorial day is a rough day for me. It's a day of remembering. Remembering can be a curse when you have spent years trying to forget.
I spent 22 months 28 days in sunny Southeast Asia. I came back physically whole. No members missing, no tag on my toe. But by the grace of god, my brothers and just plain dumb luck, I made it home.
I've been a pretty good father to my daughter. I have a nice home, a good business and good friends. With these results, I consider myself as doing ok compared to some of my other fellow veterans.
Memorial day is not a day for self-pity, or selfish thoughts. So today I turn my thoughts to other people, other places, other things and other times.
I remember the heat, the heat that kept you from taking a full breath for weeks. Heat that zapped your strength beyond exhaustion. Heat that kept you from sleeping, heat that made you sweat buckets, and heat that made you freezing cold at 70 degrees.
I remember lush green tropical mountains. I remember the red earth that was sticky enough to glue a deuce and a half in place, and slippery enough to make it impossible enough to stand on, and dusty enough to choke you into a coughing fit like the world war 2 cigarettes you smoked.
I remember the rice paddies. They could get you killed or they could save your life. Dykes stopped bullets but could leave you exposed if you were dumb enough to walk on them. The water smelled of feces, but that was better than not drinking at all.
I remember the rain. The rain that broke the intolerable heat that never stopped. It could be as gentle as silk or as stinging as a nest of bees. Rain that let you get a good clean shower, but rotted your feet until they bled.
I remember the sun. I remember the moon, a moon so bright that it lit up the LZ as you came in, but then hoped you could get out.
I can never forget the colors of an explosion. The white center bleeding out into a yellow ring surrounded by a stack of rolling smoke that was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
I remember the green and orange tracers coming up at you in the night hoping that none of them found their mark.
Above all of this I remember people. I remember the faces and things that happened, they still crowd my days and nights with pleasure and pain. I can remember entire conversations and events in exact detail, but I can only remember the names of just a few, I do not know why. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
I remember the parting face of LT Sykes as a RPG flew over my shoulder and hit the nose of the chopper I was running to. I remember the eyes of a confused and terrified little girl as I took her life away from her. I remember a friend who hung himself three days after he saw a childhood friend that I picked up. I remember another friend with who I used to play guitar with, I remember coming into a hot LZ and having his head explode all over me. I remember the quiet calm of a guy after I told him he would be ok as I held what was left of him in my arms. I gave him enough morphine to kill a horse because he was almost cut in half below the waist and I knew he would never make it back to Da Nang.
Of the hundreds I knew, I kick myself for remembering so few. Especially on this Memorial Day when I should be able to remember each and every one. They are the ones who paid for this Memorial Day. This is their day. But I will not spoil it by forgetting even one of their faces.
I will remember, God help me I will remember, from this day forward I will carry their memory and their spirit with me as a living memorial to their sacrifice, and dedication to their country, their duty and honor, and to their brothers. They shall not pass gently into the night as long as I have a breath in my body to shout REMEMBER, REMEMBER. . .For Gods sake, please Remember.
Memorial Day,
Memorial day is a rough day for me. It's a day of remembering. Remembering can be a curse when you have spent years trying to forget.
I spent 22 months 28 days in sunny Southeast Asia. I came back physically whole. No members missing, no tag on my toe. But by the grace of god, my brothers and just plain dumb luck, I made it home.
I've been a pretty good father to my daughter. I have a nice home, a good business and good friends. With these results, I consider myself as doing ok compared to some of my other fellow veterans.
Memorial day is not a day for self-pity, or selfish thoughts. So today I turn my thoughts to other people, other places, other things and other times.
I remember the heat, the heat that kept you from taking a full breath for weeks. Heat that zapped your strength beyond exhaustion. Heat that kept you from sleeping, heat that made you sweat buckets, and heat that made you freezing cold at 70 degrees.
I remember lush green tropical mountains. I remember the red earth that was sticky enough to glue a deuce and a half in place, and slippery enough to make it impossible enough to stand on, and dusty enough to choke you into a coughing fit like the world war 2 cigarettes you smoked.
I remember the rice paddies. They could get you killed or they could save your life. Dykes stopped bullets but could leave you exposed if you were dumb enough to walk on them. The water smelled of feces, but that was better than not drinking at all.
I remember the rain. The rain that broke the intolerable heat that never stopped. It could be as gentle as silk or as stinging as a nest of bees. Rain that let you get a good clean shower, but rotted your feet until they bled.
I remember the sun. I remember the moon, a moon so bright that it lit up the LZ as you came in, but then hoped you could get out.
I can never forget the colors of an explosion. The white center bleeding out into a yellow ring surrounded by a stack of rolling smoke that was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
I remember the green and orange tracers coming up at you in the night hoping that none of them found their mark.
Above all of this I remember people. I remember the faces and things that happened, they still crowd my days and nights with pleasure and pain. I can remember entire conversations and events in exact detail, but I can only remember the names of just a few, I do not know why. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
I remember the parting face of LT Sykes as a RPG flew over my shoulder and hit the nose of the chopper I was running to. I remember the eyes of a confused and terrified little girl as I took her life away from her. I remember a friend who hung himself three days after he saw a childhood friend that I picked up. I remember another friend with who I used to play guitar with, I remember coming into a hot LZ and having his head explode all over me. I remember the quiet calm of a guy after I told him he would be ok as I held what was left of him in my arms. I gave him enough morphine to kill a horse because he was almost cut in half below the waist and I knew he would never make it back to Da Nang.
Of the hundreds I knew, I kick myself for remembering so few. Especially on this Memorial Day when I should be able to remember each and every one. They are the ones who paid for this Memorial Day. This is their day. But I will not spoil it by forgetting even one of their faces.
I will remember, God help me I will remember, from this day forward I will carry their memory and their spirit with me as a living memorial to their sacrifice, and dedication to their country, their duty and honor, and to their brothers. They shall not pass gently into the night as long as I have a breath in my body to shout REMEMBER, REMEMBER. . .For Gods sake, please Remember.
Memorial Day,
Gregster613
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Amen! Cat Driver, excelently & elquoently spoken. Thank you.
CinderSchnauzer
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If not for a fortunate circumstance of geography, I likely would have found myself in those rice paddies in Vietnam. For that I have been eternally grateful.
I find it incomprehensible that some can joke about the purpose of Memorial Day.
Freedom Is Not Free
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38r10-V_ikA&feature=g-all-u]Freedom's Not Free - Ron and Kay Rivoli - The Rivoli Revue - YouTube[/ame]
I find it incomprehensible that some can joke about the purpose of Memorial Day.
Freedom Is Not Free
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38r10-V_ikA&feature=g-all-u]Freedom's Not Free - Ron and Kay Rivoli - The Rivoli Revue - YouTube[/ame]
Domush
Platinum Member
I find it incomprehensible people think a day off work means anything at all to dead people.
I absolutely agree, and making random days of the year holidays where an entire nations sits on their butts certainly doesn't improve the likelihood of freedoms sticking around, but for some incomprehensible reason there are scores of people who think dead people feel anything at all and delude themselves into thinking a day off work means anything but a day off work.
You wish to honor their sacrifices.. work towards freedom, not yet another 'holiday' for this country to grind to a halt and become all the more poor, ensuring our freedoms do go away.
340 holidays left to go before we officially become a country which does nothing at all, but "remembers" plenty.. like when we had freedoms, but thought holidays were more "meaningful".
phiferpharm
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Thanks for sharing. Some folks understand that today is not a celebration or "day off", but time to remember both those who died in serving their country and if you know families that have lost loved ones, to let them know their loss is remembered.
OP
jerrybob
Elite Member
Well spoken words Cat Driver and thanks. As for the last comment......I am generally patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. With that said.....I still hope he has a nice Memorial day.
My first cousin MAJ Dale Wayne Richardson, MIA Vietnamese/Cambodian border, May 2, 1970. I will never forget.
http://faocsalumni.org/kiavietnam_files/richardsondw.pdf
http://faocsalumni.org/kiavietnam_files/richardsondw.pdf
