honor their sacrifice

(Photo by Flickr user codefin, used under Creative Commons License)

Comments

[ZiggyNJ]

I have so much respect for people who are willing to lay down their lives for their country. May God watch over them all.

[Soo]

That's a breathtaking photo.

I took the kids for a history lesson today to the Yorktown Civil War cemetery nearby. It was very hard for me.

Our lesson ended early; I could not carry on. All I could do is allow my heart to cry for these men. I cannot be prevented from hoping for peace during this strange era of aggression and fear, nor can I keep myself from feeling a sense of loss as I look across the rows of flags and stones.

[Athol_Wolverine]

A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words.

[Scott T]

That's such a moving pic, Wil. In honor of all the fallen soldiers, I'll shut up about everything I could have said about the current world situation.

IN HONOR OF ALL SOLDIERS, PAST AND PRESENT......

Scott

[A'arab Zaraq]

When I think about Memorial Day I think about my childhood hunting friend, Bob. He was a U.S. Marine and landed on D-Day. He never talked about it until I was in 10th grade, when he came in to my history class to talk about World War II. He spoke little more than a sentence before he started crying. He was inconsolable from an event that had happened 5 decades before.

He put himself through that not only for our country, but for the U.K., France and all of Europe.

[mxley]

Thank you Wil. Such a moving photo.

I spent this weekend making a Quilt of Valor - my fifth (www.qovf.org/)

I couldn't think of a better way to spend this weekend.
Mary

[mxley]

Thank you Wil. Such a moving photo.

I spent this weekend making a Quilt of Valor - my fifth (www.qovf.org/)

I couldn't think of a better way to spend this weekend.
Mary

[lpprdlvr]

In loving memory of my grandfather Andrew, who fought in WWI, and my Uncle Carl and my father Clarence who both fought in WWII.

[klarson]

i think that photo speaks volumes. and it makes my heart break.

[starshine_diva]

You might enjoy this article that appeared in the Washington Post last week:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901288.html?hpid=topnews

[Silvertear]

Memorial Day, a time of bbq's and parades, right? I actualy spent the day working, slapping together burgers for those too inept or lazy to fire up a grill. I tend to go on auto-pilot in the kitchen, giving me lots of time to think. I was sad that I had to work -not because I was missing out on the fun, but because I had missed the memorial cerimony at the monument around the block from Mellie& Fox's. Every year when I was a kid, I remember comming to town with my folks to watch the parade -seeing my father and uncles marching proudly down the street. First with the VFW, then in later years with the VVA. Alway the parade made it's way down main st to harvester, and ended at the memorial at the graveyard. My father would stand solemly with other veterans, each holding a small handfull of american flags. One by one the names of local vets who had died in the past year would be read off, and one by one, a flag would be planted in the memorial to honor the fallen. Year after year, the list of names would get longer, while the croud of people standing to honor them got smaller. As a young child, I remember squirming and whining quietly, bored, not understanding the significance of the cerimony. As an adult, in this chaotic world, I understand more than I want to. As much as I hate this war -I respect anyone who like my father and uncles, volunteered to fight for what they believe in, whether it be God(s) Country, or Freedom. I'm proud of my father, my uncles and my father-in-law for going to Nam, and now my cousins, my schoolmates, and my friends for going to Iraq. It doesn't matter what you believe in -as long as you stand up for your beliefs. I know the day will come, when I stand before that monument and hear the name of someone I knew and loved. While I will cry when I hear that name, at the same time, my heart will be filled with pride as well, and I will honor their memory, knowing that they did what they believed to be right. Let us never forget the true meaning of Memorial Day. Lord and Lady, bless them all.

[jhankins]

On Sunday, I took my son and 19 Cub Scouts to place flags at our local cemetery. Before we started, I asked them all to recite the Cub Scout Promise... "I promise to do my best, to do my duty to God and my country..." and I explained that even at 6 years old, or 60, we can do our duty. They all nodded, and read every marker's name aloud in solemn reverence. I'm proud of my boys.

Today, three boys came back with me and laid a wreath and snapped a salute at our Memorial. I was moved to tears when an Army colonel came to shake hands with my boys and said thank you. No dude, sir, thank YOU.

I know many of you don't like the Boy Scouts for the perceived bigotry, but we do our best to teach our boys how to be good citizens. I sure am proud of them.

[Cpl M]

Thank you to all Americans who allow me to serve you! Thank you to all of my bothers and sisters in arms for their sacrifices past, present, and future.

Thank you, Wil and everyone here for not using yesterday as a political soapbox.

Semper Fi,
Cpl M
Somewhere in Iraq

[Robin Carcan]

Thank you.

[StacekTheWise]

I tried to remember not only the soldiers, but all the people that died by their hand...

[Russty]

Thanks Wil for a beautiful photo. Memorial Day is a hard day for a lot of folks in our country. My husband is a vet who fought in Desert Storm. Every Memorial Day it is a reminder to me that I'm so thankful and lucky to have him with me still. I was a young girl when he was off fighting in a foreign land, so that I might have the freedom to live my life the way I choose. I don't support war, but I do support our men and women who are called to do a job most would never consider doing. My heart goes out to the families of the amazing people who are still fighting on our behalf. I will believe till my last day that I am blessed to be married to a man of great dignity and courage who when asked stepped up to fight to protect those who could not.

To those still serving at home and abroad you are not forgotten our humble thoughts and prayers are with you.

[Laura]

This was the first Memorial Day without my grandfather. He fought in WWII, and then came home.

Hip, hip, hooray for those who served in peace time, like my father-in-law, Charles.
Hip, hip, hooray for those who served in war, like my grandfather, Robert.
Hip, hip, hooray for those who served and died, like my husband's uncle, Daniel.

[Banzai]

::raises glass::
"To our friends who are still in the desert."

[davidjoates]

Now I normally receive this via syndication on LJ, but this photo had me sign up for this just so I could respond.

I'm an Englishman. I've attended Remembrance Sunday services for as long as I can recall, even when I was taken there as a youngster who didn't understand what death and war were all about - it's a yearly ritual on the sunday nearest 11/11, and I can quote the sermon by heart. For me, it's the most important service of the year.

So, the one question I have to ask when viewing that photo, is why are the gravestones crooked and ill-maintained - at first glance, before I guessed the point of the posting, I thought you had shown us a picture of a scene of
wanton vandalism.

Why, in the multi-billion dollar budget dedicated to the military, could not a mere 20k be allocated to a single caretaker's minimum wage to properly take care of those graves and straighten up those stones as they should be.

David.