Happy Memorial Day

[DreamerTheresa]

Memorial Day is not about grilling out by the pool.


It's about friends, family, and fellow countrymen who have given time, and in many cases, their lives, to protect this country and the people in it.


"Honor Memorial Day by working to stop unnecessary war. Honor fallen vets by making sure no more fall unless it is to protect and defend the Constitution."


"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." General George S. Patton




Thank you to all who have served.

 

[7thousandpiecesMGTE]

Its often easily forgotten why we have this day off every year.... I too would like to thank our Servicemen and Women of the past, present, and future.

We are forever in your debt and will never forget.

 

[Lovesick Siren]

I went to Good Will today with my veteran husband, and as we were checking out, the cashier told me - without any provocation whatsoever - that he hates "this fucking holiday," and how it sucks that he can't get his car fixed because everything is shut down, and it's just "disgusting."

God forbid, you little pissant, that you shouldn't be able to maintain your luxuries because some of us like to show respect for those who've died, for the families they left behind, and for the rights they were defending. Hopefully, one day, our country's enlisted will be able to make up for how direly they've inconvenienced you by ensuring your freedom to say such ugly things.

 

[Poodles]

I'd soooooo get that person fired...

 

[IJ.]

I'd soooooo get that person fired...

Isn't the right to free speech one of the freedoms people died for?

 

[Poodles]

Yep, but I'm sure the person's manager wouldn't be too pleased about someone swearing in front of customers. Completely unprofessional...

 

[Lovesick Siren]

Haha, yeah, I actually considered calling the manager. I'm all for freedom of speech, I might just tell them to remind that employee that it's still a place of business, and he needs to behave a certain way when dealing with customers. He doesn't know me - he could've been talking to someone whose husband died in Iraq. I'm all for the right to say what you want, but I'm also all for being a professional when you're at work.

I don't think I'm going to rat him out, though. He was like 18. I'm only 25, and I can -already- recognize how much less of an idiot I am now than I was then. I said things when I was 18 just because I wanted to make people angry, get a reaction.

 

[DreamerTheresa]

I would have clocked that kid.

 

[Poodles]

Surprised her husband didn't, or at least chew him out.

We had some teenage girl call one of our manager trainees a "murderer" because he was a sniper in Iraq. Thought he was gonna rip her head off. Regardless of your views on war, soldiers deserve respect, period.

 

[DreamerTheresa]

[video=youtube;2JYTJInVT6Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JYTJInVT6Q[/video]

While visiting the American cemetery in Normandy, a French gentleman and his friends came upon Amos, and when he realized that Amos was a WW2 veteran who fought in Normandy, the French gentleman gave Amos a letter. My brother Joe read the letter to us and as we all listened, we all cried. You can see the thankfulness in the French gentleman, as he holds Amos's hand and thanks him as he leaves.






Yeah, hi. I sobbed like a baby.

I was fortunate enough to have visited Normandy about 10 or so years ago. It's certainly very sobering.

 

[DreamerTheresa]

And in case anyone needs to squall some more like I just did... Pioneer Woman still has her latest photography contest up... "Coming Home"

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/

 

[Lovesick Siren]

God, that one. . . there's one entry to that contest of a woman in the middle of the night on an inflatable mattress; she refused to leave her husband's coffin the night before it was supposed to be buried. She said she wanted to sleep next to him one last time. Another Marine stood there by her side all night long while she listened to songs that reminded her of him.

I cried like I haven't cried since the last time I watched American History X. I was still crying when Dave and I got into bed that night.

I have a hard time dealing with these issues. On one hand, I got very lucky. Dave was "only" Air Force as some Marine wives like to put it, but he was deployed to dangerous locations, and there were dangerous situations.

On the other, it's so difficult to think that way without feeling guilty when you see things like those photos, when you know how many husbands and wives did -not- get lucky, and are living with the loss every day.

Memorial Day really SHOULD mean more to most people than it seems to.