Memorial Day
 

Give thanks today to those who made it possible to drive and work on your trucks.

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Hard to believe no one has mentioned other than you ? Thanks ! I lost my uncle during WWII. I will tip a cold one to his memory this afternoon.

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Amen!

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Thank you....God Bless America

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God bless those brave people who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.:metal:

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Amen

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I honor our vets randomly throughout the year and thank them often. Memorial Day is the day to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. We can only thank them in spirit. I lost my cousin in Vietnam.

A thread has been running in General Discussion since Saturday.

Re: Memorial Day
 

General Order No. 11
Washington, D.C., May 5th, 1868
Headquarters, Grand Army of The Republic

I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.
If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.
Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

II. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend its friendly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

III. Department commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.

By order of
JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Chief
N.P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant General
Official:
WM. T. COLLINS, A.A.G.


John "Blackjack" Logan was my Great-Great-Grandfather's first Commanding Officer in the 31St IL Vol. Infantry Regt.

Re: Memorial Day
 

Outstanding.
I remember going to the cemetery as a boy with my Mom and grandparents to put flowers and flags on the graves of Union veterans, deceased, on May 30th.
My GreatGrandfather, James B Sullivan had emigrated from Toronto Canada to join the Union Army. He was idealistically motivated to be an Abolitionist.[His Canadian family disowned him for it.] He was young and bright, and had held a junior reserve commission in his former country. He was made an officer and attached to the Quartermaster Corps in Chicago. He stayed in Chicago after the war and became a journalist and lawyer. He was very active in the Grand Army of the Republic, formed during the Civil War as a social soldiers' fraternity and became a powerful veterans' organization after it.

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Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the letters written home at the time is the number of men motivated by idealism. It was not patriotism, really, not in our modern sense--and your GreatGranfather is an example of that. They had a vision of what they wanted the country to be, and they fought--and, all too often died--to bring it about. No rose-colored glasses here: it was a flawed nation that resulted. But they thought the attempt was worth their lives, and that willingness made them great men to whom we owe a great debt still.

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Thanks Sunshine for your reply ! When I was growing up my father managed numerous cemeteries in central Florida. Memorial Day was a special time. I would help out with putting little American flags on all the veterans graves. Afterwards we would go out to the cemetery just before dusk and just sit and watch the flags flutter in the breeze. I swear you could hear voices coming from the hollowed grounds. This is my other uncle who managed to survive WWII, Korea and Vietnam. His demons lived with him until the day he passed.

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Wow, a three war veteran.

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Blackhornet54 -- Men like your Uncle are the reason Japanese and German languages are electives, and not Compulsory Subjects.

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As a follow up I would like to tell you a bit more about Edward Shea. He was born in Hoboken NJ four years before my father, his brother. While kids they both ran around with Frank Sinatra. My grandmother, his mother was instrumental in Franks formative singing career. When Pearl Harbor happened my uncle enlisted in the Army immediately, my father was rejected due to having contracted Rheumatic Fever as a teenager. Edward trained at Fort Lee and afterwards shipped out to Europe. Being almost 7’ tall it’s amazing he survived. During Korea he earned a battle field commission when his immediate supervisor was killed. Edward was shot seven different times. The last one hit him in the helmet, knocking him unconscious. This was during the much discussed Chosen reservoir battle. Taking place during the worst winter weather seen in decades , cold weather garb was in short supply on the Chinese side. While still unconscious a Chinese soldier stripped Edward of his uniform and boots. Eventually he awoken and walked back through a firefight to his company. Along the way the retreating Chinese must have thought he was a apparition or spirit as they bowed down to him and let him pass without a fight. He was sent to Japan to recuperate. During the Vietnam campaign he was assigned to a river boat patrol group and afterwards helped build the facilities around Camron Bay harbor. A US Army movie was made with him narrating about the operation. He finally returned home after my grandmother contacted NJ senator demanding he be assigned to a desk instead of being in harms way any longer. This photo shows his statue, very imposing I would think to a 5’3” Chinese fellow. My mother and grandfather and me along side. I appreciate the opportunities to share Edwards story. He passed away from drinking and smoking constantly to try to diminish the demons who tortured him right to the end.

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Not sure why the photo is not oriented correctly.

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When I was in the military, alcohol was cheap and available on base in E-Clubs, NCO Clubs and officers' clubs for off-duty personnel, Base package stores sold whole quarts of whiskey, rum and other liquors for $4 a quart. Drinking was an accepted form of social release. The service relied on the individual to set his own limits. I found my own tolerances before I made L/Cpl. Many of my comrades did not. If you got caught and acted out while intemporate, the MPs came down on you like a ton of bricks, but a lot of us were wily by then.
Once they hit the civilian world, a lot of guys had a high tolerance, or a habit of getting drunk.

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thank you for taking that time to share ,now there was a true PATRIOT GOD BLESS AMERICA ...we once new... my father too was not allowed to enlist for he also had Rheumatic fever as a child so he went to work for Curtiss -Wright in Caldwell NJ building airplanes for the war effort

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My Father had enlisted in the Illinois National Guard Field Artillery in 1939, when things looked bad in Europe. In 1940 he met my Mom -- who was to replace him at work while he did his 2 week summer deployment. They clicked. They got married, and he got out of the NG. [Enlisted personnel couldn't be married or something.] In early '42, he tried to enlist in the Marines, but an abdominal scar from an injury in infancy, looked too much like an incipient hernia to the examining Corpsman and he was rejected. 4-F. He worked for NBC Radio as an announcer and newsman, and was the neighborhood Civil Defence Warden.
:flagw:

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I was just some gob working in the engine room of some Navy ships.

I do however have one uncle who lied about his age and joined the Navy during WW2. A bomb or airplane went into the deck of the ship he was on. He ended up in the dead pile, until someone saw him squirming and dragged him out. Purple Heart #1. After WW2 he went civilian for awhile, but got disgusted with it and joined the Army. Served in Korea. Not sure what happened to him there, but PH #2. Later, he did two tours of Viet Nam and got two more PHs. You ever seen those generals with the rack of ribbons? They hold 27. He had 6 more ribbons on right side of his chest. Combat Infantry Badge, etc. He even got shot driving down the street in Minneapolis, many years after retiring. :smoke:

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Thanks to everyone who added a bit of memories to those who made it possible for us all to enjoy freedom. In my opinion those men and women will never be equaled.