Memorial Day

[Loyal]

I know this is the Rams/NFL thread, but I wanted to remember this day with all of you.

"All gave some, and some gave all"

I was in the peacetime Navy in the 80's and so I never had to risk my life like some of you did. I just want to thank all who served and especially those who experienced combat. My grandpa risked all on Iwo Jima in 1945 and almost died from a chest wound. Many were wounded and died in Afghanistan and Iraq. Hopefully most who were left behind, made it home.

Take a moment to think of those who gave all.

 

[Loyal]

 

[oldnotdead]

Sorry but the last time I pulled it out of the drawer and looked at it was 40 years ago. I never wore the ribbon because it bothered me. I got it when the last time we were shot down. I was the only survivor and it's been too painful to look at it. Time doesn't heal all wounds it just makes it easier to handle.

To all my fellow vets, let us remember our buddies who didn't make it home. This is their day not ours.

 

[Merlin]

One of our best holidays. Valuing the sacrifice of those who gave all in service is a day well spent.

Hope everyone is doing up some BBQ. We are going chicken and corn on the cob, baked beans and fresh homemade slaw. Watermelon for dessert then copious amounts of beer. Cheers all.

 

[oldnotdead]

Memorial Day and Veterans Day are the onl two holidays that Maggie refuses to let me cook anything. She does it all, for me. Today, ribeyes, potato salad, fresh homemade rolls, chips, salsa and guac. Me, her, my brother and his son (career Army) and her nephew, career Army, and everyone's immediate families.

The best two holidays of the year, not yet overly commercialized. Have a good one my brothers stay safe.

 

[RamsSince1969]

My Dad lost his thyroid gland to a grenade in Vietnam and his mental health was always affected by it the rest of his life. Dad passed away last September at the age of 82 and I'm working with the VA now to get his final resting place in the national cemetery in Riverside. I have the deepest respect for all veterans and thank you so much for your service.

 

[Loyal]

One of our best holidays. Valuing the sacrifice of those who gave all in service is a day well spent.

Hope everyone is doing up some BBQ. We are going chicken and corn on the cob, baked beans and fresh homemade slaw. Watermelon for dessert then copious amounts of beer. Cheers all.

*heads to Salem Missouri...

 

[nighttrain]

*heads to Salem Missouri...

Salem's Lot
Where I always wanted to go.
train

 

[Loyal]

View attachment 59901

Sorry but the last time I pulled it out of the drawer and looked at it was 40 years ago. I never wore the ribbon because it bothered me. I got it when the last time we were shot down. I was the only survivor and it's been too painful to look at it. Time doesn't heal all wounds it just makes it easier to handle.

To all my fellow vets, let us remember our buddies who didn't make it home. This is their day not ours.

What's crazy is that your purple heart and my Grandpa's purple heart (pictured above) could have been made the same day. Truman ordered 500,000 purple hearts to award them for Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the invasion of mainland Japan. They ran out during Iwo and he received one in 1946. The vast majority were stored and forgotten until Vietnam. The government refurbished them and gave them out until Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[PARAM]

Wouldn't it be nice if we could manage to value those veterans everyday? I never had the honor of serving as my father told me he would personally drive me to Canada (his orders) if the war didn't end. But it did. See, my oldest brother was a medic in Vietnam 1966-67 and my second oldest brother served there in 1971. The toll it took on my mother was more than she could handle and my father (a WW2 navy vet) couldn't bear anymore. I remember when a letter from the US Army came during my oldest brother's tour. My mother was hysterical and couldn't hear my father saying, "they don't send a letter, they come to your house in person". It was telling them their son had been given the bronze star. "While under continuous fire from enemy forces he administered first aid to two wounded soldiers, saving both their lives." The letter was longer than that and in more detail but that was the crux of it. Long after he returned the only time he talked about Vietnam was when I asked the question, "how did you manage to stay sane as a 19 year old medic?" He told me, "I made up my mind once I arrived in country, I wasn't going to make it home, so I just did my job for the next 12 months". That said it all. He was, and will forever be, my hero.

 

[den-the-coach]

I want to echo the sentiments of two great veterans in @Loyal & @oldnotdead for their service and I like @Loyal served from 1984-1992 in the Air Force special operations. Only being deployed a few times to Iraq during desert storm.

Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.

 

[oldnotdead]

My family is a military family. My grandfather told "Don't ever let anyone doubt you are an American first and foremost and everyone in the family should never be afraid to serve". He said "None of the family would ever die in a war". My dad served in the Army in Europe in WW2, my uncles in the Pacific in all theaters. All came home. Two uncles in Korean War, me & my brother in Nam, my 4 nephews and neices in desert storm, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. All Army, Navy and Air Force. Me and my brother are the only ones to get injured in the wars. So yeah we understand the price that is paid and the debt that is owed.

My brother was also over in Nam the same time as your brother PARAM, with the 27th Wolfhounds of the 25th Div. I was there 1972-early 1973.

 

[RamFanWA]

Some, gave all...

 

[blackbart]

Thank you to all.

Must admit I don’t do much celebrating on this day but, do spend time to reflect.

I served during the Cold War (1977-1983) and even though we weren’t in “active” conflict there were still some who gave that ultimate sacrifice during those times.

 

[Memento]

Thank holy fate for the veterans who sacrificed much - and some made the ultimate sacrifice- to keep us safe. I never served myself, but my utmost respect to the veterans who did, in all theaters, even in peacetime.

 

[Loyal]

Thank you to all.

Must admit I don’t do much celebrating on this day but, do spend time to reflect.

I served during the Cold War (1977-1983) and even though we weren’t in “active” conflict there were still some who gave that ultimate sacrifice during those times.

Old bastI’d! ~ @thirteen28 [/blue]

 

[Neil039]

This is a day to reflect on how we have freedoms that so many take for granted. The men and women who sacrificed their lives for all the unknown individuals who never appreciated them in uniform.

I thank you and will be forever grateful.

 

[blackbart]

Old bastI’d! ~ @thirteen28 [/blue]

Really old… and crusty

 

[PARAM]

My brother was also over in Nam the same time as your brother PARAM, with the 27th Wolfhounds of the 25th Div. I was there 1972-early 1973.

That brother was in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. They built a camp in Tay-Ninh IIRC, very close to Cambodia. (Shhhhh.) My other brother was there in 1971-72. I don't recall the outfit but it was armor IIRC. He was in Chu-Lai and DaNang. He was serving in Germany with the armor when he heard about the early out program. Serve two seperate one year tours in two different theatres and if you have less than 6 months remaining, you could get an early out. So he volunteered for Nam. My father almost killed him!

 

[fanotodd]

This is a day to reflect on how we have freedoms that so many take for granted. The men and women who sacrificed their lives for all the unknown individuals who never appreciated them in uniform.

I thank you and will be forever grateful.

My sentiments exactly, Neil.
I too will always be grateful and appreciative for those who served. I don’t care if they ever saw enemy fire. They knew it could happen when they signed up—and prepared accordingly.

God bless America and the men and women who served. Today we honor those who gave everything for us.