Memorial Day

Wendae · Post by **Wendae** » Sun May 30, 2010 12:16 pm

Take a few minutes to remember and tell your children what this day really means. Hoist one while at your bar-b-que or however you are enjoying your weekend for those who have passed while serving our country.

Carolynn · Post by **Carolynn** » Sun May 30, 2010 3:24 pm

What about those who waited for their loved ones to return from some da-ned war, often in vain? And it is not just about WWII.

What about the surviving wives and parents of those dead you honor? Shouldn't we hoist a few to them too, those who sacrificed so much for something so useless?

What about those who came back so injured that their lives were never the same before they left for war, and in many cases found little help to put them right? Shouldn't we hoist a few to them too?

What about those who returned horribly tortured by the horrors they saw to the extent that they sleep no more than a few hours unless sedated.? No external wounds, no purple hearts, "just" depression and often suicide.

What about those who came home expecting help from a grateful nation only to find that they were called baby killers and worse in the press, and when they seek information to heal their ills caused by chemicals used in the war, they are called crazy until enough people raise their voices that the wonderful govt. admits that things like Agent Orange and depleted uranium in weapons do cause harm, and then still try to do nothing about it but make more of that sort of crap? Many have already died while waiting for help and research results.

And they all went to war or stayed behind waiting, so some old men and "captains of industry and politicians could get a little more powerful and richer. And then they raise our taxes to pay for their da-ned wars so we pay, and pay, and pay, in lives, in pain, and with our livelihoods. Those politicians and CEOs of companies that supplied war materials, and got rich off the blood of our populace, are so eager to honor the war dead. They are dead and there is no other use they can be put to but to drum up patriotism.

Maybe instead of toasting the dead, we raise our glass or can or whatever and swear

NEVER AGAIN.

And before you think I am some weirdo activist, I was stupid enough to go to Vietnam three times thinking I was making a difference. I have gotten older and smarter since then, and seen which way the wind do blow.

And I urge all young people to stay away from the military as a career. That is no place for an intelligent person ,in the absence of a draft. Let the old men in Congess and the presidency and the leaders of industry go fight their da-n wars.

Carolynn

Wendae · Post by **Wendae** » Sun May 30, 2010 3:38 pm

Carolynn : You are absolutly right. We should not forget anyone that was affected by these past conflicts. I have strong feelings as well. I did 2 tours in Nam and had bouts with PTSD and Agent Orange. I was married and left a wife a 2 children that were not treated well by those anti-war activists. Anyway lets remember them all.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sun May 30, 2010 4:06 pm

November 11 is our Memorial Day, at 11am on 11th and on the nearest Sunday at the same time two minutes silence is observed by most people in the UK in memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy. I for one will honour this until I die and I know my children will as well.

Its a debt we owe to our fathers

Carol Ann · Post by **Carol Ann** » Mon May 31, 2010 7:52 am

I will never forget.

Virginia · Post by **Virginia** » Mon May 31, 2010 9:10 pm

I had an ancestor that was a cavalry officer in the Civil War. My mother and father both served in WWII. My half brother served during the Korean Conflict and I was a Naval Aviator. I would venture to say that none of us liked war and its consequences. I lost my best friend in college, he was B-52 pilot.

NO war is not pretty, is it necessary? Well it has been a staple of human existence since, well Cain killed Abel?! Can we avoid it, stop it, control it? As a evolving species it would appear that all we have accomplished so far is to just improve how we slaughter each other and for reasons that fall into only two categories, politics and religion. Perhaps we can do away with both

problem solved?

I will say this whether it is politically correct or not! My country - right or wrong! Well at least up until about seventeen months ago!

Virginia

April Rose · Post by **April Rose** » Mon May 31, 2010 10:46 pm

I went to the cemetery today, and cleaned the weeds and grass from my fathers headstone. He died in Korea in June of 1951. It's 60 years later, and the North and South Koreans are on the verge of war again. Nobody's learned a F*cking thing. As far as the last 17 months are concerned, President Barack Obama has been centrist, reasonable, and competent. A huge improvement over his gullible, floppy shoed predecessor.

Absaroka · Post by **Absaroka** » Thu Jun 03, 2010 7:02 pm

Oh Virigina how fickle. Your country depending on who the president is? I know you didn't really mean that any more than I thought this wasn't my country during the previous president.

It's worth remembering that the original Memorial Day was begun as a day of mourning.

War will unfortunatly be here with us for quite a while, unless exterminate ourselves in the near future. And since I think the US is more often right than wrong (as opposed to always right, or always wrong for that matter) we need to defend ourselves. But war is really just proof that humanities leaders have once again miserably failed. After all if Virginia and I had a disagreement and decided that the solution to our disagreement was to divide the rest of the forum into 2 groups and have them kill each other till only one side could continue to fight, I suspect the reaction of the forums would be less than enthusiastic. However humanity seems to excel at aquiring leaders who will persuade us to die.

Still thanks to all who sacrificed.

Zari