Memorial Day - "This story is about..."

[Richard]

This story is about...Americans, all.

Memorial Day Tributes - Veteran stories

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/interactivity/veteran-stories.html

Attchd - my Father, YO1 US Naval Amphibious Forces New Guinea 1943; my Uncle TSGT 120th IN RGT 30th ID "Old Hickory" Malmedy Belgium 1944; my Father-In-Law 1LT (then SGT) 55th Armored IN BN 11th AD "Lightning" 3rd US Army 1943.

Enjoy the day - remember their sacrifices.

Richard :munchin

[greenberetTFS]

This story is about my Dad who served as a Combat Medic in the Army,in the Pacific during WW2...He could have gotten out with no sweat being drafted at 37 years old and with a kid(Me)... But refused too because he felt if this Country is good enough to live in,it's good enough to fight for.........He served on just about every Marine landing in support of the Navy Corpsmen who were always being in short supply........He spent 3 1/2 years in the service and I'm very proud of him,he was only 5' 1" tall(told my Mom if I didn't have brown eyes she'd be in trouble (;)) due to my size and she was only 5' tall..... God Bless them all,that have made this Country what it is, Great............:D:D:D

Big Teddy

[wet dog]

I love this country, I love the advantages it affords me. I love my children, I pray they have a future. I honor and respect this day, the lives lost in defense of this land. Today I will remember those who have gone on before, who stood in harms way defending the defenseless, and so many of us at home.

When we meet in the next realm, I will hug and embrace each of them.

Their sacrfices were not in vain, we are free today.

Thank you.

Wet Dog (Doo hak'eh hoodez gl"eeda' nah 'ah baad di).

[Radar Rider]

On Veteran's Day, my thoughts are on my Father. He served for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, with a tour in Viet Nam.

At a point in his career, he was an E-5 with 8 kids (we were Catholic). We had a great upbringing, nonetheless. I am a retiree myself; I can not fathom how he and Mom took care of 8 kids, but they did it.

My Father is my hero.

[neil smith]

I got this e-mail today and thought I would share it with everyone.

All,
In honor of this Memorial Day Weekend I send the below for your reflection and in honor of our Outstanding, Special Men and Woman who are risking their lives every day in support of our wonderful Freedom. May God Bless all of our Warriors...may we have special prayers for each warrior with us today and who may be in the heavens above still protecting us. Also, May God Bless the Team in keeping the Warrior at the "Tip of the Spear."

The Memorial at MacDill AFB, Florida to the Unified Special Operations Personnel around the Globe who, throughout history, have Risked and/or Given their lives for Freedom throughout the World. Please visit: http://www.somf.org/

Very Respectfully, djc
-----
A Special Memorial Day for Special Ops Forces

Posted Fri, May 27, 2011 at 08:05 am

http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2011/05/27/a_special_memorial_day_for_special_ops_forces

By Bobbie O'Brien

TAMPA (2011-5-27) - Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes - the recent success of U.S. Special Forces taking out Osama Bin Laden is rooted in the failed attempt to rescue the American hostages in Iran. That 1980 mission also created awareness of the need for better coordination of joint military operations.

In 1987, Congress created the U.S. Special Operations Command, SOCOM, based at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base. Its creation also cemented the mindset of the Special Forces warrior whether Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines.

They are known as the "tip of the spear" - the first to go into dangerous regions. While the world learned of the Osama Bin Laden operation - most Special Forces' missions never become public.

A handful of military professionals wanted to assure that their fellow Special Forces' comrades would not be forgotten. So they conceived of the Special Operations Memorial and raised money to build it.

"A special operations' warrior is a volunteer, who has seen where the action is and wants to go into where the action is," said Geoff Barker, who served with both British and U.S. Special Forces. "There's a vast huge bond between all of the services and all of the special operation forces. We all work together."

Barker is a cofounder of the memorial and serves as president of the Special Operations Memorial Foundation. He carries with him a thick notebook that includes the names of all those killed, each has an engraved tile on the wall. He places each tile himself. There also are tribute tiles - on the exterior walls for donors - the interior walls are only for those who have qualified as special forces.

One donor purchased tiles for Special Forces members he fought with in WWII, another for his Special Forces' teammates from the Vietnam War.

The memorial's first design had four walls clad in tiles. The four walls formed a square. In the middle was a bronze statue of a Special Forces' warrior holding his weapon - at the ready - peering out to the street and further to the bay.

That bronze warrior is all that is left of the original memorial which held 306 names of special forces members killed in action or training from 1980 through 9/11 including the name of one Special Forces officer who was killed on 11 September 2001 when the aircraft crashed in to the Pentagon.

But due to those very terrorist attacks, there's been a dramatic increase in special operations and in the loss of personnel. It required a redesign so the memorial could hold more names.

The new design was completed in 2007. Its black walls now curve to form the shape of a spear tip. A gray brick walkway forms the shaft of the spear. The bronze statue of the special ops warrior remains at the center. Behind him is the wall that holds the names of all Special Forces members who have been awarded The Medal of Honor or the Victoria Cross. Three flags fly above - the U.S. Flag, the MIA/POW flag and the Special Operations Command flag.

"It's a beautiful place and there's a lot of beautiful people on that wall," Barker reflected pointing out friends and men he'd served with.

Since the 9/11 attacks, 441 names of lost Special Forces members have been added to the memorial. Here are the 27 names added since last Memorial Day:

Army SGT Jonathan K. Peney
Army SGT Andrew J. Creighton
Army SPC Joseph W. Dimock
Marine SSGT Christopher J. Antonik
Army SGT Justin B. Allen
Army SGT Anibal Santiago
Army CPT Jason E. Holbrook
Army SSG Kyle R. Warren
Army MSG Jared N. Van Asist
Army SGT Andrew C. Nicol

Army SPC Bradley D. Rapphun
Navy SOC Collin T. Thomas
Army SPC Christopher S. Wright
Army SGT Martin A. Lugo
Air Force SrA Daniel R. Sanchez
Army SFC Ronald A. Grider
Navy LT Brendan Looney
Navy SO3 Denis Miranda
Navy CTRCS David McLendon
Navy SO1 Adam O. Smith

Army SFC Calvin B. Harrison
Air Force SrA Mark Forester
Army SFC Lance H. Vogeler
Army SSG Kevin M. Pape
Army SFC Daehan Park
Army MSG Benjamin F. Bitner
Marine Sgt. David P. Day

Their names will be read aloud at a ceremony Friday at the memorial for family, friends and Special Forces personnel.

[AMP]

A salute out to all of my fellow veterans. For those who are no longer with us, you will never be forgotten. God Bless America.

[Dusty]

A salute to General Douglas MacArthur:

"I find in existence a new and heretofore unknown and dangerous concept that the members of the armed forces owe their primary allegiance and loyalty to those who temporarily exercise the authority of the executive branch of the Govenment, rather than to the Country and the Constitution they are sworn to defend. No proposition could be more dangerous."

[mojaveman]

With some of us it sounds like our fathers were our heros. As a child I listened in awe to my dads stories about the Korean War and also my uncles stories about their experiences in WWII.

I can't imagine living in the greatest country on earth and not having spent some time defending our principals. What I also can't comprehend is people who think that they are too good to serve and who derogate our armed forces.

A salute to all of the fallen on this memorial day weekend.

[Sparty On]

I will be stopping by my Grandpa's grave on my way to work today. In his youth, he helped beat back the Nazi regime.

As a teenager, I went to visit my Uncle while he was stationed in Germany. While there, my father took us to Dachau for a history lesson. To this day, the hairs on the back of my neck slowly creep up when I think about standing in the "showers" and trying to comprehend the scope of the evil perpetuated there.

I thank God for the bravery of Americans and their allies for putting a stop to the Third Reich.

I also thank God that we still have brave Americans willing to sacrifice all to fight the enemies of America and humankind.

Thank you all.

[Team Sergeant]

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived."

George S. Patton

We remember.....

[JJ_BPK]

Pfc James Bernard Johnson. MIA/KIA Nov 1943
Co K, 3rd BN, 8th Marine, 2nd Marine Div
Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands

RIP Uncle Jimmy, Vaya con Dios..

[PSM]

CPT Raymond James "Jim" McCarrell, my uncle. USMA Class of 1945. CO A 1/9 2ID. KIA 2 March 1952. SS and BSM with OLC with "V" device.

The BSMs are cited below. We've, so far, been unable to find information on the Silver Star.

RIP, Uncle Jim.

Sections III and V below:

[SpikedBuck]

CPT Raymond James "Jim" McCarrell, my uncle. USMA Class of 1945. CO A 1/9 2ID. KIA 2 March 1952. SS and BSM with OLC with "V" device.

The BSMs are cited below. We've, so far, been unable to find information on the Silver Star.

RIP, Uncle Jim.

Sections III and V below:

Your Uncle was a Great American! Thanks for sharing these award citations, especially on this day...much appreciated.

v/r

Dan Moroney

[ZonieDiver]

My father, one of the last of the US Army's horse cavalrymen. (I always loved the sound of "Captain, Cavalry"!) He survived WWII to die in an automobile accident when I was 5 years old.

[Susa]

Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the skies
All is well, safely rest;
God is nigh.



(This is but one of the lyrical adaptations.)