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May 28, 2007
Never Forgotten ~ Never Forget
Every generation of Americans have been called on to defend freedom and liberty. Over the years more than forty two million American men and women have served their country in time of war. More than a million have secured the blessings of liberty with their lives. America is blessed by our Heroes.
Those are the words on a tombstone, far across the Pacific, of someone who gave up his life for our future.
Were those words uttered so that those of us who are left could just enjoy our lives without "getting involved", or were they written to remind us that the work of freedom and liberty is never done?
Were those words written ,to suggest to us that it is not our job nor our responsibility to keep alive what they fought and died for, or were they written to remind us that we were given the opportunity of life so that we would continue to defend, and keep alive the memory of what they gave their last full measure for?
Let us here today, tonight, tomorrow, next month and next year - remember these gallant defenders of our freedom.
Most were not heroes as defined by the most hallowed Medal of Honor nor even as defined by the silver or bronze star.
They were ALL Heroes
Yes they were heroes, because without hesitation they fought for our country when they were asked to defend her.
They left their families, friends and good times behind and went to fight for our freedom without hesitation.
Some -- never even fired their weapons because they were killed before they ever reached the beach.
But they were heroes because they were there, ready to fight for America - for family, flag and country.
Most were scared to death as they prepared to meet the enemy. Their stomachs were turned upside down and they prayed to God and wished they were with their moms, dads and sweethearts rather than being where they were.
But they were where they were, fighting an enemy that was threatening their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They were fighting an enemy because they believed in America, they loved Her flag and they wanted to protect American's right to worship as they chose.
They were there, without hesitation, fighting for what they believed in and dying for what they believed in so you and I could live the way we chose in a free country. But they did not die so that we would stop fighting for what they believed and died for.
They fought and died knowing that we, the living, would go on fighting for that same freedom, that same country, that same flag and for that same right to worship as we choose. Abraham Lincoln, at Gettysburg, said:
"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth."
It is for us the living to go on defending what they died for. It is for us the living not to allow history to forget what they gave up all their tomorrow's for.
If when we attacked Guadalcanal and landed at Salerno, we found that "they" were going to fight back, we didn't give up because they fought back. We continued to fight because we knew our cause was right!
When Americans rode in the landing craft before storming the beaches at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Sicily, Anzio, Normandy, Peleliu, Saipan, Iowa Jima, Okinawa, Inchon and many other places we had never heard of before and when they fought in North Africa, the Philippines, Italy, France, Bastonne, Germany, Korea and Vietnam -- most were scared to death; their stomachs were turned upside down and they wanted to be back home with their loved ones.
But that did not stop them from attacking America's enemies bravely and without hesitation. They fought, and many died, but they did not give up because someone shot back at them.
It is for us the living to continue to defend and keep known what they fought and died for -- what they gave up all of their tomorrow's for.
They did not die so that we could become complacent; nor did they die so that when we, the living, reached a single obstacle --- we should quit
They died knowing that we would go on defending their actions, defending history and defending what they gave up all their tomorrow's for.
If WE don't remember ---if WE don't defend what they fought and died for and what we fought for -- who will remember? Who will care?
How many of them and you who fought for our flag and our country and remember the feeling as Old Glory" was being raised over a piece of land we fought for ---- and many died for?
How many remember seeing or hearing about our valiant warriors, who were fighting on Iowa Jima, as they stood and cheered when they saw the flag being raised over Mt. Suribachi.
We take this time on Memorial Day to salute our Fallen Heroes who through the history of our country have fought and died for all of us. THANK YOU!!! ---- Wild Thing
Posted by Wild Thing at May 28, 2007 12:55 AM
Comments
Code of Conduct - Article VI:
"I will never forget that I am an American fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America." GOD BLESS U.S.!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at May 28, 2007 01:55 AM
http://daddy.typepad.com/daddyblog/2007/05/memorial_day_ma.html
Caught your post and loved it. Thought you might appreciate the above link as well.
Posted by: Angela Pedersen, R.N. at May 28, 2007 02:32 AM
That's right--all their TOMORROWS so we can have ours.
So we can sleep well at night
So we can say what we want.
Posted by: Lynn at May 28, 2007 06:27 AM
Thank You Wild Thing. That is well written.
Sadly, too many Americans will forget or pay minor lip service to the meaning of Memorial Day. It has been thirty years since young American males had to worry about a draft. So few serve nowadays. Military service is now a profession, no "Citizen Soldiers". The defense of freedom is borne by a small percentage of Americans, so the majority really have litle sense of what true sacrifice is about. I hope these few will suffice to keep America free, but the value of freedom may be lost by the many. And America may rot from the inside.
Posted by: TomR at May 28, 2007 06:51 AM
Thank you, WT ~
There may be many who don't realize the meaning of today but there are more of us who do than they know. And we're not so quiet anymore...
Posted by: yankeemom at May 28, 2007 10:59 AM
Thank you so much for this WT. All their Tomorrows!!!! What tears at me is that we as a nation have used this weekend as a three day holiday, not for somber reflection and homage to our fallen but as a time to party and revel. How many even know that the traditional Memorial Day is May 30 or as yankeemom has pointed out, what the real meaning of the day is? Go to any older and smaller cemetary and you'll see perpetual neglect, there is one nearby that if you don't know where it is you'd never know it was there, it's grown up with trees, bramble and blackberry bushes, even the cemetary sign is gone. I couldn't make it over to the family site as I had paid my respects there last month, but my two sisters in law went out Saturday morning as they do every year to clean family headstones, they always clean those that nobody visits, leaving behind white instead of grey marble, bronze instead of green on the fallen veterans, it's hard work but they'll do it like they have for the past 35 years. It's a job I have done because all too often those neglected sites have no family successors to maintain the grave markers.
Posted by: Jack at May 28, 2007 01:09 PM
http://my.starstream.net/sierrahome/AmericaMedley.wma
Wild Thing you have always been there for those who have served and always been a big reason why those who gave so much are always remembered.
Posted by: Sierrahome at May 28, 2007 01:49 PM
The lyin' gutless donks can't forget our troops fast enough.
http://bobmccarty.wordpress.com/2007/05/27/pelosi-only-two-heartbeats-away-on-memorial-day/
Posted by: Dan at May 28, 2007 02:42 PM
Those words from that tombstone are the unvarnished truth. What a shame that so many Americans don't understand that truth!
Beautiful and moving posting.
Posted by: Always On Watch at May 28, 2007 03:16 PM
Darth, God bless you and thank you so much!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 12:58 AM
Angela Pedersen, R.N., thank you so much! And thank you for the link too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 12:59 AM
Lynn, thank you for being here and your wonderful addition in your comments.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 01:00 AM
Tom, thank you.
I am concerned too about America rotting from the inside. We live in different times now like I have never seen before.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 01:01 AM
Yankeemom, thank you. I agree with you we are not going to be quiet. Thank you so much for all you do Yankeemom!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 01:02 AM
Jack that is beautiful, thank you so much for sharing about what your family does today.
Thank you Jack for all you do and have done!!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 01:04 AM
Sierrahome, wow I love it, thank you so much for the link and for doing this!!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 01:06 AM
Dan, oh my gosh it just never ends does it. Grrrrrr
Thank you Dan for the link and for all you do!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 01:07 AM
Always On Watch, thank you and thank you for everything you do too!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2007 01:08 AM
