Memorial Day

As the old saying concerning service men n women goes, "All gave some, some gave all" My thoughts, prayers, gratitude and heart goes out to all our troops, especially those of the "Greatest Generation", but for their sacrifice, none of us may be free today. I posted a bumper sticker on here before that read, "If you can read this, thank a teacher, if youre reading it in English, thank a Soldier". The following I also posted before, but its a good time to post it near Memorial Day Weekend:

I want you to close your eyes and picture in your mind the soldier at Valley Forge, as he holds his musket in his bloody hands. He stands barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of food, wounded from months of battle and emotionally scarred from the eternity away from his family surrounded by nothing but death and carnage of war. He stands tough, with fire in his eyes and victory on his breath. He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us this...

I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution, and now your children graduate too illiterate to read it.
I fought in the snow barefoot to give you the freedom to vote, and you stay at home because it rains.
I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech, and you remain silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for business.
I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you, and it has stolen democracy from the people.

It's the soldier, not the reporter, who gives you the freedom of the press.

It's the soldier, not the poet, who gives you the freedom of speech.

It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who allows you to demonstrate.

It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag!!!

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen."

John T God Bless the USA and our troops

A very touching and appropriate tribute. I received this today via email and would like to add it to the others:

Subject: Memorial Day Blessings----ENJOY---RAINEY

Subject: Freedom

I watched the flag pass by one day, It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it, And then he stood at ease..

I looked at him in uniform So young, so tall, so proud, With hair cut square and eyes alert He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him Had fallen through the years. How many died on foreign soil How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down? How many died at sea How many foxholes were soldiers' graves? No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night, When everything was still, I listened to the bugler play And felt a sudden chill. I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant "Amen,"

When a flag had draped a coffin. Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children, Of the mothers and the wives, Of fathers, sons and husbands With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington. No, freedom isn't free.

Enjoy Your Freedom &God Bless Our Troops

But this year I lay in the bed thinking about it. And thinking I may never get to do it again. I don't know how much time I have left with this cancer thing.

I must count my blessings,,,,, ,I'm still here. And I was alowed to live a full life. Things didn't look that good the year I spent laying in an AIR FORCE Hospital.

Many times I have tryed to come to grips as to why I was blessed and some were not. Not even alowed to see there 20th birthday. Or to return and have there lives in total termol. Or spend years in pain and suffering.

Now with this cancer thing I'm going to the VA hospital in Madison once a week and that got me thinking.,,,,, ,,,EVERYBODY should take a walk through a VA Hospital And then go to the volinters office and SIGH UP. Even if for a couple of hours amonth. Yes I'm blessed, I have a wonderful wife of 38 years, yes we have 3 wonderful kids, and 7 grandkids. We have a pretty ranch in one of the pretties spots in the world. And when I'm gone, the ranch remains in tack without skipping a beat with son Pat taking over. Plus I got to play cops and robbers all those years even in the shape I was in. But think about those that weren't as bleesed as I.

John T jmn50@msn.com

We often move about our daily lives and never really pay attention to the surrounding events unless its the rising gas prices or what we are dealing with in the Middle East. All of you know by my handle that I am a Navy Chief Petty Officer. As I rose this AM I took my coffee and went outside to absorb the quiet of the Morning. Today is Memorial Day, a day in which we set aside to to reflect on the supreme sacrifice that those who have gone before us have made, to make this nation what it is today. I cannot look upon the countenance of those to who fought in the beliefs to keep this country whole in the Civil War or those whose went to Europe in WWI. What I have seen is the eyes of those served in the theatres of Omaha, Belgium, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Tinian, Korea, the Delta, Da Nang. I watched this AM in Sunday service as an 84 year old Man who walked partially bent over to the pulpit, and laid his blue garrison cap embroidered with Bataan and Corregidor USMC on the side and listened as he talked of what This day meant. His voice calm and steady, though almost ready to break. His feeble hands shok as he turned the pages of his notes. I closed my eyes as the tears fell and thought back to when I attended the 50th Anniversary of D-Day at Normandy, and to see those crosses so silently poised in the cool breezes. I wept unashamed. For any who may not quite understand words like Valor, Honor, Courage, Commitment, get the movie Saving private Ryan. DO NOT watch the whole thing. Just the first and last scenes where the old man is looking for and standing in front of the grave, and you will see. Or if you should be so able to get to Hawaii, and stand on the Arizona Memorial, and watch the last of the Pearl Harbor Survivors as they remember those who never got to go home. Then there is the wall. I went not too long ago with a friend of mine who is also a CPO, his wife who is a Warrant Officer and her Aunt who served as a Surgical Nurse in Vietnam and was wounded there as well. I again wept unashamed as I watched those go there to find that one name among the 55,000 . To all of the guys out there that write this board or simply read its contents who may not talk about their time..... ..... For my Uncle Mr. Tinker, Seabee, Mikie15550, Capn' Jack Lock, Guest_Steve, John T's boy in the USMC and all of the others who in one way shape or form have stood the watch..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .. THANK YOU

Thanks for letting me talk
R/
Engineman Chief Petty Officer (Surface/Air Warfare qualifed)
Eric John Hovan
USN

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R/
Eric
"The Old Chief"