Memorial Day … Not just for a party-weekend or a day off from school…

[GeoHorn]

The real meaning of the holiday is meant to honor all U.S. soldiers who have died serving their country.

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day's history goes back to the Civil War. It was was declared a national holiday by Congress in 1971.

As we enjoy the Holiday…Let’s remember the Why….

 

[check 6]

Thank you

 

[DaveFromMi]

I need to get some decorations and American flags. My Dad was in WW2, he had 2 brothers in Korea. My great uncle was in WW1 and my great grandfather was in the Civil War.

 

[WFM]

"To Honor Thoses That Have Served"
Yes something we all should remember.
My dad was on a ship off California when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He being a seabee helped clean up the aftermath. A different generation of people who loved God and country and very few of them left.

Unfortunately lots of folks headed north to invade our California of the east this weekend. If a wall is built it needs to be at Kittery Maine...

 

[KKBL]

Thank you Geo.

 

[Magicman]

 

[GeoHorn]

Here’s some Memorial Day visuals…

Imagine …you’re a conscripted soldier…told to sit on a wooden box in a throw-away wood-and-fabric glider … guided by a two-week-wonder glider-pilot…. to be towed and abandoned over unknown territory …hopefully to survive a once-in-a-lifetime landing on a non-airport field without flipping-over….and then, expected to run into combat.

What would your thoughts be?

And IF you were one of the guys up-front…. how much confidence would you have that 1200 lb 3-inch howitzer held down by ropes to the floor….won’t end up in your Back.. during that upcoming crash-landing…? (the breech-end of that gun can be seen between the soldiers…the barrel will be up-between the “pilots”.)

 

[Magicman]

 

[skeets]

 

[Magicman]

 

[GeoHorn]

Here’s my dear departed friend, Buddy McGown…pictured in Germany Feb‘45 when he was early 20’s…and then just last year in Bryan, Tx when he was 95….

Buddy was an advance-scout charged with venturing far ahead of the troops in a collapsing Germany …to prevent inadvertent ambush on our troops. Buddy had taken flying lessons before the war…and came upon an abandoned German airfield littered with airplanes… He couldn’t resist climbing into the cockpits and actually got one or two started up…but was talked out attempting to fly any … because of the risk of being shot-down by our own who were roaming the area.

He then advanced several days ahead..and on his return to our lines…he found the airplanes he’d been toying-with … with placards and signs placed all over them by our security-forces saying:
”Keep Away!…These are Booby-Trapped!

Buddy really enjoyed telling/laughing about that.

God Bless our Greatest Generation.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Lock and load, my friends.

The day is coming when even older men and women like you and I will be the last stronghold for freedom.

Many of the young these days don't 'get it'. They just don't care or understand.

They, and we, live free because of the heroes in arms that came before us. Some died for freedom.

Do ya know any 18 year olds these days that would do the same? Not many. Most are serving in the military now.

Salute to the heroes of freedom.

Thank you, Geo for the Thread.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Semper Fi!

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Here’s my dear departed friend, Buddy McGown…pictured in Germany Feb‘45 when he was early 20’s…and then just last year in Bryan, Tx when he was 95….

Buddy was an advance-scout charged with venturing far ahead of the troops in a collapsing Germany …to prevent inadvertent ambush on our troops. Buddy had taken flying lessons before the war…and came upon an abandoned German airfield littered with airplanes… He couldn’t resist climbing into the cockpits and actually got one or two started up…but was talked out attempting to fly any … because of the risk of being shot-down by our own who were roaming the area.

He then advanced several days ahead..and on his return to our lines…he found the airplanes he’d been toying-with … with placards and signs placed all over them by our security-forces saying:
”Keep Away!…These are Booby-Trapped!

Buddy really enjoyed telling/laughing about that.

God Bless our Greatest Generation. View attachment 129354 View attachment 129355

Nothing like a good Grease Gun to lube your tractor or save the world from tyranny.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

My Dad's bombardier was on my mind today. November 10, 1944, Lt Leroy Drummond was killed over Cologne when a 100# bomb fell from a bomber above and hit him while sitting at his station in the B17's nose.

Dad thought about Leroy often the rest of his life.

 

[Fordtech86]

Many of the young these days don't 'get it'. They just don't care or understand.

Blessed to be able to share this day with the freedoms we enjoy because of those who defended those freedoms with their lives!

 

[Magicman]

Sadly sometime in the future our country will have to fight on it's own soil again. I shudder to think about it.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Sadly sometime in the future our country will have to fight on it's own soil again. I shudder to think about it.

I agree.

Train your child in the way to maintain freedom. It's not pretty.

The younger generations might suprise and save us all from tyranny.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Veterans cemetery somewhere in Canada. Don't recall where I was. Just passing through on a motorcycle ride.

 

[GeoHorn]

My Dad's bombardier was on my mind today. November 10, 1944, Lt Leroy Drummond was killed over Cologne when a 100# bomb fell from a bomber above and hit him while sitting at his station in the B17's nose.

Dad thought about Leroy often the rest of his life.

It was terrifically dangerous simply getting onboard one of those mission airplanes…taking off under “combat loads” …(the equivalent of overloading today)… on hastily-built runways, in fog (before instrument flying was well-understood/trained) …in ridiculously-Close-Proximity to other departing aircraft equally-challenged… climbing without radar-separation thru British Weather (notoriously poor) …to join in close-formation with dozens of others…. only THEN to attempt to navigate in that tight-group to unfriendly skies filled with FLAK and Fighters…. risking a bale-out to be killed by locals or beaten-up and imprisoned….IF you survived the fall.
Then you had to get back home thru all that opposition Again….IF your airplane could make it…. and THEN attempt to land with hydraulic and engine and other failure…. the landing itself being a dangerous manuever. THAT was what the War was like truly was for those boys.

This is a different matter than dissatisfaction with home-political disagreements by an unruly mob of Bubbas who don’t know or appreciate the avenues of relief they enjoy in a Democratic Republic.

A Democratic Republic has mechaisms in-place for it’s citizenry to address grievances, elect representatives, and change laws and policies through established methods and means.

An armed uprising in a Democratic Republic is a criminal and treasonous offense…. It’s NOT a legitimate activity under any circumstances, just because one doesn’t like the way an election by fellow citizens turns out.

Any such activity is a disrespectful and direct attack on any of those WW2 and other Veterans who gave their Lives for this priviledge we enjoy.

Go VOTE.