What is Memorial Day to us Americans?

This is what Memorial Day is all about. It's not about BBQ's, it's not about family and get togethers and although I understand people wanting to include them, it's not about those serving now or who have served in the past. That is what Veterans Day is for. This is the reality of what Memorial Day is all about:

Civil War - 1861–1865 - 214,938 American lives lost
World War I - 1917-1918 - 53,402 American lives lost
World War II - 1941-1945 - 291,557 American lives lost
Korean War - 1950-1953 - 33,686 American lives lost
Vietnam War - 1955-1975 - 47,424 American lives lost
Afghanistan War - 2001-Present - 1,435 American lives lost
Iraq War - 2003-2011 - 3,542 American lives lost

Grand total of all wars listed on Wikipedia from 1775-Present - 848,163 American lives lost
These are combat losses and not total deaths which are much higher.

Please take some time to reflect on what these men and women have done for us so that we can live free.

I honor all American military service because they all are/were placed in harm's way while in uniform.

My dad would never talk about his service in the Navy, which leaves me to wonder if he saw something horrific, hated the experience, or what. More than a couple of questions he would get uptight. He didn't think it was right for people like candidates running for office to talk about their experiences. He thought it was simply a duty you did and after it was over you just moved on.

Dad's brother was turned down by the Army while trying to enlist but begged the Army to take him. He served as a cook and and in so doing contributed even when he wasn't wanted.

Another uncle had his eardrum punctured while in the Merchant Marines and was involuntarily retired as a result. Afterward, he joined the Army and spent the rest of the war stateside training recruits.

After my dad died my mother was seeing a man who was a Pearl Harbor survivor, and he couldn't have been any more different than my family members that served. It was the defining moment of his life. He was very humble about it, though. The torpedo that hit his particular ship was a dud and when the order was given to abandon ship, he jumped, swam about 300 yards in oily water, and didn't have so much as a scratch for the remainder of the war.

Having never served, I don't really know what these people went through. I appreciate their involvement and believe perhaps in retrospect that I should have served myself.

On Memorial Day, BBQ's , family get togethers, a quite day at the lake with your son or daughter, a family sit down in front of the TV watching a documentary on the Normandy Beach landing; are critical platforms that that bring recognition, reflection and preserve the gratitude that we feel for the sacrifices of our war dead.

Memorial Day, one day a year to appreciate a gift given, to bring home our fallen and thank them; even if home is only in our hearts.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

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Having never served, I don't really know what these people went through. I appreciate their involvement and believe perhaps in retrospect that I should have served myself.

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Never second guess your decision not to serve in the military. It is not a way of life, a path through life, that should be taken by all. I am glad that my son's doctor choose medical school, instead of rifleman. I'm glad everytime I sit down to dinner, for the farmers that provided my food; many who passed down their knowledge from generation to generation. I'm grateful for that young man or woman, who stayed in school and excelled at mathematics & technology research, they built a better Hum Vee for my little brother.

I only wish for a man or woman who can make better decisions, when it comes to using our military.
Then maybe next year we won't have to remember so many on Memorial Day.

As a vet, I fully understand what Memorial Day is about. I'm so thankful that the General Attitude of Most Americans has changed since I was in the armed forces (Viet Nam era), while I was on a Nuke Sub playing tag with the Russian's I had a cousin and a friend who were spit on when they go home.

I hope all will enjoy this video, it speaks volumes about dedication and devotions, and she never served, but her husband of only a few weeks did.

WWII Widow's Journey for Reconciliation - CBS Sunday Morning - 6-10-12 - YouTube

Thank You for that video Cuda. It brought tears to my eyes. My dad served in the South Pacific Theater of the USMC in WWII so that makes it even more powerful to me.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

I find it very sad that posts like these are soon 'lost'/ignored or simply forgotten! I'm sure it's because it's not razor, strop or hone orientated!

My Boy Scout Scoutmaster is trying to be 93 years old this year, he's a Marine who survived Iwo Jima.

He had invited me up to take a look at some straight razors he had (and then he gave them to me), I'd taken my youngest daughter, her boy and my son along. My son had a Jr ROTC inspection at school that day so he was in full dress uniform and when I introduced him to Owen, my son stood at attention, posted a snappy salute and said I salute you Sir! Owen said thank you, but you don't need to salute me, I was only a corporal!!

I wouldn't be the man I am today without his guidance!

Cuda,
Thanks so much for sharing the video and to everyone else, thanks for remembering. Truer words than "The Greatest Generation" were never spoken. Most of us who are serving or ever have will agree that those cats were just heart and soul GIs and true patriots. My father was one of them and the finest man I ever knew. They say they'll all be gone in the next 15 years or so. The country and the world will truly be lesser places when they're gone.

Owen and I keep in touch via email, I once told him that he was part of the Greatest Generation of America, he wrote back that his generation wasn’t the greatest generation, that every generation was the greatest.

I replied that I disagreed; If the rationing of gas/food/electricity etc were to be imposed today as it was during WW2 there would be riots in the streets!

He agreed!

He and all like him are and were the Greatest Generation!

My meager attempts at accomplishments in life are hidden by the shadow they he and others like him cast!

Well said cudarunner. I would love to sit and listen to a WWII vet tell his stories. I have the utmost admiration for those men. They truely were patriotic Americans like no other generation.

I knew a guy that was part of that "Generation" this man landed on Omaha beach on June 6th, fought through some of the worst of the rest of WWII including The Battle of the Bulge, in fact he was one of the men that found the bodies of the Massace at Malmedy.
Told me the stories of almost drowning coming off the landing craft and leaving his BAR at the bottom of the English Channel, that if he had not learned to swim at Coney Island in his youth he never would have made it to shore like half the guys on his boat..

Heard how after WWII he got out of the Military and he bartended at the Waldorf Astoria in NY, then went back in 1950 although he took the choice offered and went into the newly formed Air Force, which was perfect timing for the Korean Conflict, which I am not quite sure what he did there but something to do with Radar..

After Korea he married and raised a family, stayed in as a career guy, an NCO who lived all over the world with his family, nearly ready to retire in 1971 he managed to get new orders after just buying a house stateside that sent him to Vietnam for a tour there..

Three wars and he was a quiet family man, never showing a hint of what that could do to most men, he retired after Vietnam and worked at JC Penney for many years after that.. He never talked much about the wars unless asked and then he downplayed much of it..

In fact I never really knew what all he really did in the wars until his funeral when I asked for his Ribbons to be duplicated so I could have the originals, the guy at the uniform shop looked and said "Do you have any idea what all these are for" I said "Some of them yes, many of them no" He said "Let's put it this way son, your Dad was in some scrapes and knocked around quite a bit over 30 years".... That was the way that Pops was, to him it was just the job he had to do, I never saw him ever wear a hat, t-shirt or any other memorabilia that said "Veteran" of any kind, he was more proud of raising a family then being a 3 war veteran..

A quiet man from a quiet generation that did what was asked by his country, to me that is what Memorial Day is about..

Thanks for sharing that Glen. Your dad sounds like he was a good man.

Glen, thank you for sharing! I've found it very true that most of the people of the Greatest Generation are like that, very humble but still proud to have served!

Owen never spoke of being at the invasion of Iwo Jima, he said that he was a Marine and that what he learned had helped him with being a better man. I didn't learn of his involvement until he showed me the Japanese straight razor and hone that he'd found in a pill box during the battle.

At that time he mentioned that he'd done an interview back at Napa ID where he was from, I did a search and found it. During it he was asked if he would do it (Iwo Jima) again he promptly said yes!

Its no wonder that he was such a force in helping shape my life! I can't thank him enough!