Memorial Day weekend has become the one time of the year where it can said that the whole nation is united in the gratitude that’s shown to those that have fallen and those who still bear the pain of wars that are being fought now and in the past.
The toll that’s taken of the soldier can be overwhelming and the loss of a comrade only further shows the alarming severity of the task they must endure.
All the emotion shown during this time gives evidence to the pain suffered by veterans & family members alike.
I know I’ve talked about the difference between Veteran’s Day & Memorial Day, but I’d like to take the time to remind everyone that the men and women of our armed services deserve our gratitude and a great deal more. The depth of that gratitude though celebrated once a year can be repaid in so many different & simple ways year round. From a random act of kindness to just saying “thank you for your service” to a soldier or veteran. The appreciation that it brings is immeasurable for the person concerned.
If nothing else, it shows the respect and esteem we have for these fine individuals who gave so much and those we remember this weekend that gave allto ensure we have the freedoms this great land offers us.
There are only two words to describe this day -- THANK YOU!
To my fellow veterans, I want to thank you for your service to our great nation. In these times of change it may be hard to remember that our sacrifices are why our country is in this historic period.
Good or bad, just remember that your sacrifice allowed the American people to make a comfortable decision under the banner of liberty…regardless of whether you agree with the decision of the people or not.
Our job was/is to ensure that our people are free to make the choice.
The Difference Between Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day
I have come to realize that many people do not know the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
There is a big difference and that difference is significant.
Veterans Day is the day to thank and honor those who served honorably in service to our country…regardless of wartime or peacetime. Deceased veterans are also remembered, but in the context of their service to the nation. In simple terms it is to honor and celebrate the veteran’s service.
Memorial Day honors service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle. Memorial Day is where we honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
So…hopefuly that helps everyone understand the difference – because there is a difference.
History
Veterans Day originally is held every November 11th, and though it typically falls on this day, officially the holiday is normally observed on the weekday that falls closest to November 11th every year. It was first incorporated as by President Wilson as Armistice Day in 1919. Other countries today also still recognize November 11th as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in honor of the Armistice treaty which ended WWI.
It was in 1938 that Armistice Day was enacted as an official American holiday. But eventually after WWII, citizens felt that the veterans of all wars should be recognized, not just those of WWI. So in 1954 Congress changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. In America, the holiday now celebrates the approximate 2.9 million U.S. veterans with parades and ceremonies among other events.
Goering: “Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece.”
“Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.”
Gilbert: “There is one difference. In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars.”
Goering: “Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
Nazi leader Hermann Goering, interviewed by Gustave Gilbert during the Easter recess of the Nuremberg trials, April 18 1946, quoted in Gilbert’s book ‘Nuremberg Diary.’
Memorial Day weekend has become the one time of the year where it can said that the whole nation is united in the gratitude that’s shown to those that have fallen and those who still bear the pain of wars that are being fought now and in the past.
The toll that’s taken of the soldier can be overwhelming and the loss of a comrade only further shows the alarming severity of the task they must endure.
All the emotion shown during this time gives evidence to the pain suffered by veterans & family members alike.
I know I’ve talked about the difference between Veteran’s Day & Memorial Day, but I’d like to take the time to remind everyone that the men and women of our armed services deserve our gratitude and a great deal more. The depth of that gratitude though celebrated once a year can be repaid in so many different & simple ways year round. From a random act of kindness to just saying “thank you for your service” to a soldier or veteran. The appreciation that it brings is immeasurable for the person concerned.
If nothing else, it shows the respect and esteem we have for these fine individuals who gave so much and those we remember this weekend that gave allto ensure we have the freedoms this great land offers us.
There are only two words to describe this day -- THANK YOU!
Mitt Romney just finished a contest “of sorts” asking his supporters to come up with ads for his campaign. He supplied clips, photos, etc. for this on his website [withheld because I don't like him].
So…as should be expected others have also taken up the challenge with the materials freely given.
In his primetime televised address, President Bush announced plans to reduce US troops by roughly 30,000 by next summer, if certain conditions were met.
Wow!
The troop reduction that President Bush is touting is just returning the current troop level to just above pre-surge levels (the Congressional Budget Office report that stipulated that the troop “surge†of 21,000 troops to Iraq would probably be closer to 35,000 to 48,000 troops, once support troops are factored in).
“The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home,” he said in his speech. I’m curious as to what being successful now means.
I say that I’m curious because the Denver Research Group’s Global Power Barometer report, published in the Washington Post on Saturday, warns that US influence is now in “steep decline†owing to a number of key factors including:
the war in Iraq, where the US will remain “bogged down†for years to come, rendering it unable to respond effectively to other world events;
the loss of moral high ground that the US had held for decades, as a result of the Abu Ghraib scandal and Bush administration policies that appear to advocate torture;
the consensus among world leaders that the US lacks a coherent foreign policy strategy;
the inability of the US to effectively use the extraordinary power it possesses; and
the Bush administration’s unfocused counter terrorism strategy which has dealt ineffectively with organizations such as al Qaeda, and allowed them to “hold their own or start to win”.
Causing me to wonder why despite the widely held view that the war in Iraq is not going well, and is likely to continue to erode American prestige without being offset by commensurate benefits, President Bush remains indomitably upbeat about the prospect of “success” in Iraq.
Maybe it’s because as a soldier who has briefed the viability of a continued conflict during “dads war” I can’t see where this will end up being a “good thing” as Martha says. Maybe it’s because there are lots of information stating that I am not alone:
A poll conducted by CBS News found low levels of optimism regarding the troop surge, with only 29 percent of Americans responding that they thought the surge was having a positive impact in Iraq.
The war in Iraq continues to be the major factor in President Bush’s abysmal domestic approval ratings. Only 29 percent of Americans approve of his performance, while 65 percent disapprove.
Given the level of opposition to the war among American voters, the President’s decision to give a prime time televised address left some top Republican strategists scratching their heads – especially in light of the stoically optimistic representations made by General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker earlier in the week.
It almost makes you wonder if he wants the GOP to loose, because there is nothing odder than watching an unpopular President going onto prime time television, interrupting Americans’ TV viewing to remind them of the single reason they don’t like him anymore.
Because I’m involved with the Alaska Air Show: www.alaskaairshow.org, Lynn and I were invited to be DVs (Distinguished Visitors) for the F22 Raptor Arrival Ceremony (sideshow below with the full pictures in the photo gallery).
Needless to say, we had a FANTASTIC time! It was what I would call a “dress up” ceremony (suit or sport coat and tie), but that didn’t make it a boring ceremony by any stretch.
There was even a F22 simulator! Made my ACE, lost only one missile (tapped twice at the same target). I can say that after flying the simulator, I can’t see what the big deal is about being in a 9g inverted turn…I didn’t feel out of sorts at all <LOL>!
The really cool part was that the F22 actually arrived for the ceremony….as in the ceremony was tied to their actual arrival to the state!
There are many reasons for the F22 – the aging of the F15 Eagle (over 36 years), the creation of China’s new Jian-10 Fighter, Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 as well as their sale to Syria of MiG31Es. With their Russian Vympel R-73 missiles they are deadly adversaries against our air dominance.
As Senator Ted Stevens said at the ceremony…”It’s not who the F22 will come up against, but who will be willing to go against the F22?”
History has taught us that we cannot successfully fight tomorrow’s wars by training to fight today’s enemy. The war on terrorism has challenged our forces in combat with an enemy that uses crude tactics and primitive technology. Who would have guessed 20 years ago we’d have our military riding horses into battle in the 21st century? But that’s exactly what we did in the opening days of the conflict in Afghanistan.
It’s important to note that as our current fight grabs all the headlines, the nature of warfare is constantly evolving on several fronts. We cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that we may be called upon to battle an enemy whose technology and skills more closely mirror our own, and we may have to engage both types of threats simultaneously.
When that time comes, Americans won’t want a fair fight. We carry the expectation of overwhelming combat dominance that makes the fight patently unfair to the other guy. The proof is in the undercurrent of the dialog against the war in Iraq…most Americans are shocked we’re loosing.
So…it’s back to what America is good at – deterrence at it’s highest level.
Standing there looking that the machine gave me a sense that my skies are safe again.
It’s a simple video, but the pictures are wonderful as they are striking. For this Memorial Day, I present this great video – Remember Me by Lizzie Palmer:
The anti-war zealots plaster a LOT of data at us that supposedly show us how horrible war is. It’s like the “truth” commercials…leaving it in the hands of the zealots makes for ugly perceptions.
It’s why fanatics are so brutal…even the “American” ones.
So it’s very refreshing when not only someone “gets it,” they have the talent to actually put it in perspective to anyone willing to read it. War is hell, but from a soldier’s perspective – it’s getting better.
For you “Anti-Bush-ites” don’t fret. He isn’t making any case for him or the administration. It’s objective…
Posting from Twitter...Correct date for Karl's Celebration of Life is June 23, not July. All times previously posted are correct. http://twitter.com/hogbiker2011/06/21
Karl was not actually around a corner from anyone at time of death, according to an eyewitness. http://twitter.com/hogbiker2011/06/20
Karl was on foot in Haines, went around the side of a building for some privacy and never came back. He was found on the ground. http://twitter.com/hogbiker2011/06/16
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To my fellow veterans, I want to thank you for your service to our great nation. In these times of change it may be hard to remember that our sacrifices are why our country is in this historic period.
