Happy [M]emorial Day!

[SemperFly]

Just wanted to say thank you to all the veterans and current members of the US Armed Forces. I plan to visit a local American Legion outpost today as well as a cemetary but I wanted to make this thread to recognize all the [M]ilitary members on this forum.


First, a little history about the day:

Originally Posted by http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

And now an individual thank you to all the men and women that have served or are currently serving in any of the five branches:


The United States Coast Guard



For jumping into ball-freezing waters to rescue those lost at sea.



The United States Army



For being the armored steamroller that has saved the world time and time again.



The United States Air Force



For keeping a watchful eye on the sky (and operating Stargate Command)


The United States Navy



For protecting our oceans and projecting America's strength across the seven seas.


and of course

The United States Marine Corps



For being the world's toughest, most hardcore military organization in the world. Semper Fi




is deploying to Iraq in a couple days, join me in wishing him and everyone else being sent there or already there a safe return home. Buy a serviceman or woman a drink today and thank them for serving. Realize that without the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands like them in the past the we would not have the freedom to enjoy the greatest country on Earth.






May Sanjay bless America.

[em-3]

FUCK THE USA


edit: im cuban

[supisumed]

the weather is bad

[AndrewHanes]

<3 petar

[Seaweed]

thanks for "saving our asses in world war 2"

[skidrow]

lots of life waste on useless wars.

[goatrape]

what a stupid OMGOMGOMGOMG you are.

[hawk82]

same to you. my uncle is in iraq right now he put in for his 2 weeks vacay for the end of july. then just a couple more months and he's done with this tour!

[SilkSteel]

"For being the world's toughest, most hardcore military organization in the world. Semper Fi"

Redundancy much?
Much towards the military however.

[Disturbance]

The world would be a better place now if Hitler and the Nazis had won. Why should I thank the USA for preventing me living in a better world?

[aoeoae]

keep 'em flyin'

[SemperFly]

Originally Posted by SilkSteel

"For being the world's toughest, most hardcore military organization in the world. Semper Fi"

Redundancy much?
Much towards the military however.

oops

I hate this lack of editing

[Phil Taylor]

We get a free day off, we don't give a shit about it.

EDIT: I do really even though this is aimed at the Americans.

[Gennipher May]

Mikey
Military
Cheap Legion Beer

[Gennipher May]

Originally Posted by FlyNavy

I hate this lack of editing

jesus... is that something they're charging for now too?