Here we are again and trying to compose the respect. Something different, like thousands of Our or we THEIRS have died since last year. My old flag is out there . It won't be touched, well it could .. I must hack but really, it was something else. For 8 years when it flew on a left column (as faced from the street) it was usually half mast. Today it will fly in gentle wind at the right column. Carve through all the bs media and unsubstantiated lies, leaks garbage , there is a new beginning. Massive work, taken out of context and ridiculed. It should become evident during these years and young men and women mature and see what old hacks are trying to do with their future. They are prying away by any means, the opportunity of something they haven't experienced. Peace through strength.
There is a resemblance to America before Pearl Harbor invasion. The President was all strung up with different issues. They are trying to undercut the ability of our President and administration to deal with these serious concerns.
It is evil . Some things are unthinkable and at least some things didn't happen. As much as the Soviets were conniving they didn't want to take out the bread basket of the world. The ones who don't care at all are the finks and of no use now. They should know that.
Memorial Day
Moderator: Harold_V
Re: Memorial Day
The overwhelming measure is remembrance of Their sacrifice. The future is what we make of it.
Re: Memorial Day
To every Participant of Rolling Thunder, I hear you. One ear among millions, I hear you. And those fine engines which are music but it rained. Today the best and cleaned air. Not stifling hot as before. Proud to be in your midst for awhile.
-
jscarmozza
- Posts: 604
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:09 pm
Re: Memorial Day
Got up this morning and put the flag out, then I figured I'd listen to a little patriotic music so I turned on the 'sounds of the season' on cable TV; the season title was 'barbecue weekend', I shut it off immediately. What the hell is going on in this country! No respect, no appreciation for the sacrifice of our citizens, no concept of our history, and it's happening fast!
Re: Memorial Day
Just don't check your email or newspaper for the barrage of "Memorial Day" sales...jscarmozza wrote: What the hell is going on in this country! No respect, no appreciation for the sacrifice of our citizens, no concept of our history, and it's happening fast!
Glenn
Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
Re: Memorial Day
Unfortunately, the intent and spirit of Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day and others has been drowned in the crassness of commercialism and shallow people who think these are days to eat and drink to excess and otherwise engage in dubious behavior. Memorial Day took on a very different meaning for me some 50 years ago, back when I was in the U.S. Navy and had gotten word of friends having been sent home from Vietnam in a coffin, or still alive but gravely and irrevocably wounded. The loss of several buddies in the rice paddies and jungles of 'Nam was very sobering indeed, and made me fully appreciate why national holidays such as Memorial Day exist.
The average younger American today ("younger" meaning born in 1975 or later) has little appreciation of the sacrifice made by those who didn't make it home alive or who are MIA and have yet to be found. Even worse are the millennial snowflakes, who probably couldn't find places such as Normandy, Anzio, Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Inchon, Saigon or Kuwait on a map, let alone properly pronounce their names, yet incessantly complain about supposed inequalities in the USA.
In passing, I'd like to post something that I originally put up here on Veterans Day 2015. It, in turn, was a reprint of a post I made at another site in 2012. Here it is, unexpurgated.
————————————————————————————————————————
VETERANS' DAY 2012
Here in the USA, today is Veteran's Day, on which day we pause to reflect on what our veterans and active duty military personnel have done and are doing to defend our way of life.
This Veterans' Day is poignant for me because a man who I considered to be a father-figure and mentor passed away earlier this year. This gentleman, "Ralph", was a World War II veteran who joined the U.S. Army at age 17, right out of high school. Following basic training, he was assigned to the newly-formed Eighth Air Force and flew many missions over Europe, primarily as a waist gunner aboard B-17s and B-24s. The word "dangerous" didn't even start to describe what young airmen like Ralph were assigned to do.
Ralph's baptism of fire came on the very first mission he flew when his plane was hit by 20mm cannon fire from a German ME-109. His buddy, who was manning the port waist gun, was killed before his eyes. Their crippled B-17, badly shot up and with two engines out, somehow remained airworthy and made it back to England with one man dead and another gravely wounded. Ralph was but 18 years old when this happened.
Following the end of the war, Ralph went to school on the GI bill and then was hired by a major supplier to the railroad industry, where he would work until retirement. I met Ralph in the 1970s when his company hired me. He was the only boss I had there until he retired.
Ralph was a gruff, but patient man whose wartime experiences obviously shaped his outlook on life and approach to getting things done. I had a lot of book knowledge when I went to work for him nearly 41 years ago, but not a lot of "life knowledge" or sense of purpose. He changed all that, treated me almost like a son and got me headed in the right direction. He and I often worked together in the field on a variety of projects, and it was a learning experience for both of us, as I believe I was the closest thing to a son that he ever had (his wife and he raised two daughters).
It was only after Ralph retired that I learned the full extent of his experiences during World War II, many of them related to me over endless cups of coffee. He was definitely one of what we refer to as "The Greatest Generation," whose ranks, unfortunately, have been greatly thinned by the ravages of time and old age. His wife passed away a few years ago after some 63 years of marriage. And now Ralph is gone.
If you know a World War II or Korean War veteran and have the opportunity to thank him or her for his or her service, or better yet, to sit down with them and talk for a while, DO IT! The opportunity may be gone before you realize. The experiences that these men and woman went through are excellent food for thought, and help each of us to understand that the freedom that we all enjoy as citizens of the United States has come at a sobering price, a price paid with the lives of very brave people.
[attachment=0]animflag.gif[/attachment]
The average younger American today ("younger" meaning born in 1975 or later) has little appreciation of the sacrifice made by those who didn't make it home alive or who are MIA and have yet to be found. Even worse are the millennial snowflakes, who probably couldn't find places such as Normandy, Anzio, Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Inchon, Saigon or Kuwait on a map, let alone properly pronounce their names, yet incessantly complain about supposed inequalities in the USA.
In passing, I'd like to post something that I originally put up here on Veterans Day 2015. It, in turn, was a reprint of a post I made at another site in 2012. Here it is, unexpurgated.
————————————————————————————————————————
VETERANS' DAY 2012
Here in the USA, today is Veteran's Day, on which day we pause to reflect on what our veterans and active duty military personnel have done and are doing to defend our way of life.
This Veterans' Day is poignant for me because a man who I considered to be a father-figure and mentor passed away earlier this year. This gentleman, "Ralph", was a World War II veteran who joined the U.S. Army at age 17, right out of high school. Following basic training, he was assigned to the newly-formed Eighth Air Force and flew many missions over Europe, primarily as a waist gunner aboard B-17s and B-24s. The word "dangerous" didn't even start to describe what young airmen like Ralph were assigned to do.
Ralph's baptism of fire came on the very first mission he flew when his plane was hit by 20mm cannon fire from a German ME-109. His buddy, who was manning the port waist gun, was killed before his eyes. Their crippled B-17, badly shot up and with two engines out, somehow remained airworthy and made it back to England with one man dead and another gravely wounded. Ralph was but 18 years old when this happened.
Following the end of the war, Ralph went to school on the GI bill and then was hired by a major supplier to the railroad industry, where he would work until retirement. I met Ralph in the 1970s when his company hired me. He was the only boss I had there until he retired.
Ralph was a gruff, but patient man whose wartime experiences obviously shaped his outlook on life and approach to getting things done. I had a lot of book knowledge when I went to work for him nearly 41 years ago, but not a lot of "life knowledge" or sense of purpose. He changed all that, treated me almost like a son and got me headed in the right direction. He and I often worked together in the field on a variety of projects, and it was a learning experience for both of us, as I believe I was the closest thing to a son that he ever had (his wife and he raised two daughters).
It was only after Ralph retired that I learned the full extent of his experiences during World War II, many of them related to me over endless cups of coffee. He was definitely one of what we refer to as "The Greatest Generation," whose ranks, unfortunately, have been greatly thinned by the ravages of time and old age. His wife passed away a few years ago after some 63 years of marriage. And now Ralph is gone.
If you know a World War II or Korean War veteran and have the opportunity to thank him or her for his or her service, or better yet, to sit down with them and talk for a while, DO IT! The opportunity may be gone before you realize. The experiences that these men and woman went through are excellent food for thought, and help each of us to understand that the freedom that we all enjoy as citizens of the United States has come at a sobering price, a price paid with the lives of very brave people.
[attachment=0]animflag.gif[/attachment]
- Attachments
-
- Stars & Stripes Forever!
- animflag.gif (6.43 KiB) Viewed 4325 times
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Music isn’t at all difficult. All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!
Music isn’t at all difficult. All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!
Re: Memorial Day
We have seen the line crossed . For eight years and similar to my cicadas, they sleep and come out to make noise. The difference is the cicada is really a pretty insect and doesn't bite or infect anyone. The drone they made during the Memorial Day week was eerily similar to air raid sirens.
Re: Memorial Day
There is nothing to add to your post. It isn't a day or week. The best of times slaughtered each other. America never surrendered and Memorial Day isn't just a day, week or month. Better men than me .. all that promise. Somehow this works while it looks terrible to us but from the other side, They served to full measure. Ultimate Reckoning. Life after life and inspired by the spirit of close communion in Love. Men and women so much younger than me, continuing the work to protect us. They aren't sitting here typing, they are dealing with the most advanced systems and really know complex equipment while their brains are fresh and not polluted by politics. Spirit never ends.
There has been spirit on different sides but ours is better.
There has been spirit on different sides but ours is better.