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| Capital flag at half mast |
But also wishing our readers remember why we have this holiday. PLEASE - Do not forget, do not ignore, do not take too lightly the reason for this weekend Holiday. This is Memorial Day weekend, not beginning of summer weekend or national barbeque weekend. Please plan to stop your recreation on Monday noon, at 12:01, to observe a moment of silence.
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| Lincoln at Gettysburg |
This began as Decoration Day, a day for putting flowers on the graves of those soldiers who died during the Civil War. The recognition of this date in our history is from 1868, and it was because of the massive numbers of war dead that only after this war, this terrible war where American killed their fellow Americans, that we first built - or needed to build - 73 national cemeteries.
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| Arlington |
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| statue commemorating Iowo Jima, WW II |
We have added a lot of graves to those national cemeteries, and a lot of graves to other cemeteries as well, of those who have given their lives, who have made the supreme sacrifice so that we may be free.
As you celebrate in safety, as you enjoy your freedom to come and go, to speak, to assemble and associate, to worship, to vote (don't let that one be restricted by Republicans), to travel freely (don't let that one be restricted for immigrants by Republicans) and for all people in this nation to be treated equally and equitably regardless of race or ethnicity or country of origin, regardless of religion (including in practice, not just theory, Muslims), or gender or sexual orientation. Don't only observe silence. Speak out as well. Remember the people who have died so you can work and play and travel in this country. Then take a moment to thank those who did not die, but who took the risk of death in service to our country by serving in our military. Remember to thank both the men AND women who served.
Don't thank them silently; thank them so they can hear you. Mean it from the bottom of your heart when you thank them, and make sure THEY know you mean it, make sure THEY know YOU really value their service, and that you value the sacrifice of those who died.
Do not forget. Do not procrastinate. Do, please, think about our armed forces this weekend - but not only this weekend.
I am going to begin by thanking my co-blogger and blog owner, Penigma, for his 12 years of service. Than you Pen for your service, and thank you for on my 3rd anniversary this month of blogging with you for the privilege of exercising freedom of speech here on Penigma.
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| honoring our dual citizens who have served this nation in many ways, including in the military |
Thank you to our readers and commenters who have served, especially those still serving.
Pen sometimes chides me for writing too many posts, saying they get in the way of the previous being read. I'm going to take his advice this time. I have a set to auto-post, so that I may also have the weekend off from writing, from moderating and from dealing with harassment from K-rod. But most of all, I don't want any other post to compete with this one for attention during this weekend.
Wrting may be a bit intermittent for a while from me while I am on the road beginning next week. Especially be watching for updates on the blogging harassment series which will have new developments.
Hello Dog Gone,
ReplyDeleteI too send my honors and thoughts to Laci, Penigma, MikeB, and ALL for their service.
My thoughts this weekend will be for those of my family who served and some died serving this country from the conception.
My “Sir” name came to this country from Scotland during the Revolutionary War and fought under General “Mad” Anthony Wayne in the young “Continental Army.” His pay for his service was a 200 acre farm in what was the western part of Virginia. By the Civil War, his grandson fought and killed in what had become West Virginia as the Confederate troops moved north toward Pennsylvania. My father and his two brothers fought in WWII. The youngest was part of the D-Day landing and just one of seven out of his whole company who survived the Battle of the Bulge counter attack. He continued to march into Germany after that battle. (He just passed away this last Fall) Their youngest sister joined and severed during the Korean War.
My mother’s grandfather was going to school here in Baltimore, MD while his mother was still in Munich Germany when WWI broke. It was then he decided that he was an American and joined the American Army in an Artillery Division when the U.S. got involved in WWI. His mother was still in Munich. His three sons joined the U.S. Army when WWII broke out; one was in the 101st Airborne and was dropped behind the German lines the day before D-Day invasion. He continued the fight on into Germany.
I myself served at the end of the Viet Nam War and then was sent to South America for 9 months to subdue Communism in Chile, Argentina, etc. By the time we came back home we had lost 3 of our unit. My thoughts will be with them this Memorial Holiday.
Of course we should honor those of our children and grandchildren who served in the First Gulf War, the Second Gulf War, and Afghanistan today. Their sacrifices are no less than those who came before them.
And a thank you to you to engineer, thank you.
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