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neo
05-27-2005, 19:02
to a lot of people its a 3 day week end,to have parties,picinics,extra hiking time,that sort of stuff never really giving it a thought about what it,s about,i personally want to salute all my fallen countryman in all branches of our armed forces,i thank and them for their sacrifice that we are free,i love my country and served in the us navy 1978-1982,God Bless America.:cool: neo

Rancid
05-27-2005, 19:08
How strange, at the same time that you entered your thread, I was posting my thoughts to Trail Dog, who is over in the Big Sandbox. My feelings are strong towards are service people that have been lost for our Freedom. Thaks for asking, Rancid

Footslogger
05-27-2005, 19:37
Memorial Day for me is a day to remember my fallen commrades and to give silent thanks to those in the military today that are putting in on the line. I did my time as they are now doing theirs. I was fortunate enough to come through the experience relatively unscathed. Not everyone is that fortunate.

Hooah ...

'Slogger

cjc_60525
05-27-2005, 20:18
I think of all of those who's lives were and are being wasted for no good reason at all.

Garlic
05-27-2005, 20:31
Profond thoughts cjc, not! You sound like an expert in the matter, not.

Pencil Pusher
05-27-2005, 20:39
Profond thoughts cjc, not! You sound like an expert in the matter, not.
And ditto for the opposing view, garlic.

To me it's a three day weekend. A paid holiday if I work it. When they have Ski to Sea and the Bolder Boulder.

neo
05-27-2005, 20:47
Profond thoughts cjc, not! You sound like an expert in the matter, not.
i have to agree with you garlic,i hear ya loud and clear,words getting their lives wasted for nothing hit me hard,alot of my hero,s i have studied their are great warriors,william wallace of scotland,francis marion of the american revolution
patrick henry also.george washington,gen.nathan beford forrest of the civi war
teddy roosevelt of the spanish american war,sargent alvin c york ww1 of tenn.
audie murphy ww2,great men of valor.and many many many more,only GOD can name them all.I would fight for my country today again,but at 46 it will never happen,GOD BLESS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ARMS:cool: NEO

DavidNH
05-27-2005, 20:49
Memorial Day...three days off..the traditional start of summer. Snow usually gone in White mountains and the light is green for hiking the peaks!


Hey I will take any three day weekend..but this one means weather getting better rather than worse.

And I will just leave it at that!
NHhiker

Happypappy
05-27-2005, 22:07
Having served as an honor guard (burial duty) during the nam war, memorial day means quite a lot to me. Too many of our soldiers were not given the respect they deserved while serving, let us honor them now. As usual, I am going to try to scrounge up enough gas money to make it to the wall again this year for the holiday. Even as much as I hate crowds.

neo
05-27-2005, 22:10
Having served as an honor guard (burial duty) during the nam war, memorial day means quite a lot to me. Too many of our soldiers were not given the respect they deserved while serving, let us honor them now. As usual, I am going to try to scrounge up enough gas money to make it to the wall again this year for the holiday. Even as much as I hate crowds.
i hope you have a great and safe trip:cool: neo

TakeABreak
05-27-2005, 22:24
Ditto, NEO.

I to served in the Armed forces. 1978 - 1982 Active Duty Army, 1982 - 84 Active Reserves, 1988 - 1994 Air force National Guard. Although I was fortunate enough to come thorugh without any physical scars there are some things i will never ever forget as I am sure many other will not forget either. For those of you who have never served, and are physically and mentally capable, you should have should be ones attending every memorial and doing everything to you can to help our troops. They do not get to decide and where they are sent, theirs is do or die.

I have seen Docua, was on next to the Chek. border for 19 months during the cold war, almost went into Iran during the Iran crisis, and stood guard duty on a military installation more times than I can remember. Just so you could sleep comfortably in your bed at night knowing I was their to die, if I had to keep your ass safe.

If memorial day means nothing more to you than the start of summer or the annual opening of a cabin, then I say to you. You need to go and serve, so maybe just maybe you have a little respect for those ofus have, so you could sleep safely at night.

neo
05-27-2005, 22:32
Ditto, NEO.

I to served in the Armed forces. 1978 - 1982 Active Duty Army, 1982 - 84 Active Reserves, 1988 - 1994 Air force National Guard. Although I was fortunate enough to come thorugh without any physical scars there are some things i will never ever forget as I am sure many other will not forget either. For those of you who have never served, and are physically and mentally capable, you should have should be ones attending every memorial and doing everything to you can to help our troops. They do not get to decide and where they are sent, theirs is do or die.

I have seen Docua, was on next to the Chek. border for 19 months during the cold war, almost went into Iran during the Iran crisis, and stood guard duty on a military installation more times than I can remember. Just so you could sleep comfortably in your bed at night knowing I was their to die, if I had to keep your ass safe.

If memorial day means nothing more to you than the start of summer or the annual opening of a cabin, then I say to you. You need to go and serve, so maybe just maybe you have a little respect for those ofus have, so you could sleep safely at night.
thank brother i appreciate what you have to say,some times when i post this stuff,i feel like i am alone,but i know we are not alone.i am sick of getting my threads bashed just for saying thank you to our brothers asnd sisters who have fallen,and our brothers and sisters that have served,and our brothers and sisters still serving:cool: neo

TakeABreak
05-27-2005, 22:42
NEO, I read a lot of your post also, and I too appreciate what you have to say, not only about the military but things in general, have a safe weekend my brother veteran. Also, I too get tired of getting flamed here, but the people who really want help in hiking advice need us, keep up the good work.

ps, I noticed our dates of active duty service are same too, isn't that incredible.

icemanat95
05-27-2005, 22:46
Neo, you aren't alone, but don't go bashing your head against a wall either. People either get it or they don't. You can't make people understand something that they are actively resisting trying to understand. You just end up in a polarized argument. Let 'em say what they want to say. You and I both know that the only reason they get to say it is because other men and women put their bodies and blood on the line to protect their right to do so and while we may find some of the differing opinions out there distasteful to our sensibilities, we shouldn't want it any other way. That's what we served to protect, just as much as the philosophies and opinions we respect and admire.

neo
05-27-2005, 22:55
Neo, you aren't alone, but don't go bashing your head against a wall either. People either get it or they don't. You can't make people understand something that they are actively resisting trying to understand. You just end up in a polarized argument. Let 'em say what they want to say. You and I both know that the only reason they get to say it is because other men and women put their bodies and blood on the line to protect their right to do so and while we may find some of the differing opinions out there distasteful to our sensibilities, we shouldn't want it any other way. That's what we served to protect, just as much as the philosophies and opinions we respect and admire.
thanks iceman,what you say is so true,easy for us to understand,my heart makes me who i am,i am what i believe,we served with pride,we served with purpose
we served to protect,to protect those that dont understand,those that dont care,all i ask is one thing
how about a little respect for those in service,past,and present:cool: neo

fiddlehead
05-27-2005, 23:18
i have to agree with you garlic,i hear ya loud and clear,words getting their lives wasted for nothing hit me hard,alot of my hero,s i have studied their are great warriors,william wallace of scotland,francis marion of the american revolution
patrick henry also.george washington,gen.nathan beford forrest of the civi war
teddy roosevelt of the spanish american war,sargent alvin c york ww1 of tenn.
audie murphy ww2,great men of valor.and many many many more,only GOD can name them all.I would fight for my country today again,but at 46 it will never happen,GOD BLESS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ARMS:cool: NEO
I'm wondering if the reason you didn't include: Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and George Bush is because they lied to us for their reasons for going to war or continueing one. I too am thankful to the soldiers and sailors and marines who are on the line. But at the same time, I am quite upset at our reasons for being there. And these modern wars don't only kill others. The soldiers who have come back from the last war had 63% more birth defects in their children than the norm in the USA. I am glad that i don't have to serve in this modern war we got ourselves mixed up in as these pictures of these servicemen's kids are really quite horrible. I blame the politicians and pity the innocent victims! God Bless whoever will get them home FAST! fh

digger51
05-27-2005, 23:36
As a retired soldier having served from 1972-1975 active, 1975-1978 reserves, 1981-1999 active, i appreciate your comments Neo and my fellow vets. Unfortunately some people have their heads in the sand about why we did what we did and some others just have their head up their backsides. But we did serve so they could voice their opinions, so I guess I cant complain about what they have to say. Its too bad those who most criticize the soldiers and their sacrifice are the ones who have no idea what that sacrifice is like. For those that served I offer my heartfelt thanks.

rcli4
05-28-2005, 00:05
You asked what memorial day means to me. It means that most everyone takes time to remember what my brother did. I think of it most everyday. You see he died in Vietnam June 13, 1969. He was buried 5 days later on his 19 th birthday. I served 18 months in Vietnam and 4 months in a Cambodian hell hole before some of the finest human beings that ever graced the earth came and got me out. They were the baddest bunch of Jarheads I ever had the oppertunity to meet. Why did we do these things? Well so you have the right to be an idiot if you want to be. If Memorial Day means three days off and the beginning of the season to you, you are a lucky person. Obviously you and yours have never done anything worth remembering on memorial day. As for me and mine we serve and are proud to have done so. We continue to do so( 2 nephews in Iraq now and one in Korea) and will in the future.
You are Welcome
Clyde
U.S. Navy diver 1971-75

neo
05-28-2005, 00:26
You asked what memorial day means to me. It means that most everyone takes time to remember what my brother did. I think of it most everyday. You see he died in Vietnam June 13, 1969. He was buried 5 days later on his 19 th birthday. I served 18 months in Vietnam and 4 months in a Cambodian hell hole before some of the finest human beings that ever graced the earth came and got me out. They were the baddest bunch of Jarheads I ever had the oppertunity to meet. Why did we do these things? Well so you have the right to be an idiot if you want to be. If Memorial Day means three days off and the beginning of the season to you, you are a lucky person. Obviously you and yours have never done anything worth remembering on memorial day. As for me and mine we serve and are proud to have done so. We continue to do so( 2 nephews in Iraq now and one in Korea) and will in the future.
You are Welcome
Clyde
U.S. Navy diver 1971-75
God bless you brother,i am sorry for the loss of your brother,may his soul rest in peace.rick ashworth us navy 78-82 served on board uss tarawa lha-1
i was a boiler tech,in both forward and after engine room:cool: neo

art to linda
05-28-2005, 08:02
Along with remembering all that the men & woman in the military have given for our country, I started a family tradition when my children were young. We go to the cemetery and clean up the graves of family members. While doing this I told them stories of people that they never had a chance to know, stories my grandparents told me, and showed them some of the history of their family and how it ties in with the history of the area. We also went into the older section and explore some of the oldest places ...... just reading the inscriptions on the stones is a window into how people lived and how life has changed over the years. Every year we have found something new and rather then being a sad time, it has turned into a way to reconect with the past and talk of how the past is the long line to the future.

One Leg
05-28-2005, 09:07
Most folks observe Memorial Day as a time to remember those who served and sacrificed in the Armed Forces. Since 1998, I'll never again view Memorial Day the same.

I owned and operated a fairly good sized tree service in 1997-1998. During month of January, a series of tornados came through the Orlando, Fla. area and ripped the area to shreds. Hardest hit was the Kissimee/St.Cloud area.

At the time, I was living and operating out of Georgia. The contract I had with several insurance carriers called for me to pull out and relocate in the event of a natural disaster. So, for almost 5 months (Jan-May), I moved my operations down to Fla. to help out with the cleanup. It separated me from my family, and was a hard time for us all.

When Memorial Day came around, my wife wanted us to go to my brother-in-laws' "cabin at the lake" (which was really an older mobile home) and enjoy a day as a family. We arrived in separate vehicles: her in her minivan coming from our house, and I in my work truck coming from Florida.

Sometime during the afternoon/evening hours, Leisa left with the children to visit a friend who lived at the other side of the lake. Since the boat wouldn't start, this meant a half-hour drive for her each way.

When she left, I grabbed my shotgun, fishing supplies, and headed down toward the lake. (No, I wasn't going to shoot the fish.......The shotgun was for the unwanted water reptiles that often linger around old boat houses.) It wasn't dark, but the sun was beginning to set for the evening.

My arms were loaded with assorted fishing gear, small cooler, and the shotgun. Somewhere between my truck and the dock, I tripped-or slipped-and everything in my arms went flying.

The shotgun, a double-barrel with both barrels loaded, hit the ground and discharged. One of the barrel blasts struck me in the upper leg/knee area. The other one struck me dead-on in my foot and lower leg, obliterating most of my foot in the process.

-Condensing a very long story- 5 hours after the initial blast, I finally arrived at an emergency room. 5 weeks and 4 surgeries later, on June 29, 1998, the leg was removed below the knee. 4 years after that, the leg was removed above the knee.

So, for me, Memorial Day represents the day that my life forever changed as the result of a split second of carelessness. It represents the closing of one door and the opening of many others.

-Scott

bogey
05-28-2005, 09:45
Having served as an honor guard (burial duty) during the nam war, memorial day means quite a lot to me. Too many of our soldiers were not given the respect they deserved while serving, let us honor them now. As usual, I am going to try to scrounge up enough gas money to make it to the wall again this year for the holiday. Even as much as I hate crowds.
Since I just found out yesterday that I don't have to work ALL of the weekend. thought I'd walk over to the Tomb of the Unknowns for a while, then down to the wall and meditate and watch the tourists.

neo
05-28-2005, 16:17
Since I just found out yesterday that I don't have to work ALL of the weekend. thought I'd walk over to the Tomb of the Unknowns for a while, then down to the wall and meditate and watch the tourists.
i have never been to washington d.c.but i definately want to go some day.
i usually go the vetrans cemetary 2 miles from were i live on memorial day.i also
got put on my step dads grave memorial day also,he served in the the us army
:cool: neo

neo
05-28-2005, 16:22
Along with remembering all that the men & woman in the military have given for our country, I started a family tradition when my children were young. We go to the cemetery and clean up the graves of family members. While doing this I told them stories of people that they never had a chance to know, stories my grandparents told me, and showed them some of the history of their family and how it ties in with the history of the area. We also went into the older section and explore some of the oldest places ...... just reading the inscriptions on the stones is a window into how people lived and how life has changed over the years. Every year we have found something new and rather then being a sad time, it has turned into a way to reconect with the past and talk of how the past is the long line to the future.
i have walked thru old cemetary,s along trails in ky and tenn with stones dating back 200 years,you can learn about how people lived by just reading what is written,about their faith,and their character:cool: neo

art to linda
05-28-2005, 21:17
i have walked thru old cemetary,s along trails in ky and tenn with stones dating back 200 years,you can learn about how people lived by just reading what is written,about their faith,and their character:cool: neo


A old cemetary is a fantastic place for sure, whole lives sumed up in a few short words and a couple of dates.

I had 4 Uncles, my Father (my Father helped liberate one of the major camps and was at the take over of The Eagles Nest) and 2 Aunts and 4 Uncles by marriage serve in WWII; 3 brothers, an ex-husband and many friends in Vietnam. I was one of the lucky ones, all my family members came home though I did loose 3 close friends in Vietnam. I find there is no shortage of stories to tell about the lives of these people ( some of which were told to me by my Grandmother) while we clean up the headstones and plant a few flowers. My youngest daughter keeps threatening to bring the camcorder to record them.

SGT Rock
05-31-2005, 16:42
I think about:

PV2 Silva
SGT Tanish
SPC Ramierez
SSG Swisher

God bless them and keep them close.

Mags
05-31-2005, 17:12
I always think of my paternal grandfather on Memorial Day Weekend (among other days).

This past weekend, someone told me how what I did was hard (hikes, runs). Said...naah.

Marching through Sicily, Italy, France and Germany with a rifle was hard.

Backpacking for leisure is pretty easy.

Stoker53
05-31-2005, 18:35
I try to keep politics out of my Memorial Day. It's about individiuals, far removed from the big picture, who did their duty for their country, family( living and not yet born) and friends.

They also fought for the guy next to them in the line. They shared the misery of war together and the vast majority were forever changed because of it. Ask a WWII vet about the men he served with and his eyes will light up.

No it's not wrong to remember men like that.

mrc237
06-01-2005, 11:04
I Was Always A Little Selfish On This Day My B'day Is May 30 The Traditional Md Since Vn I've Looked At It Differently My Most Memorial Memorial Day Was In 2000 When I Camped At The Audie Murphy Memorial On My Thru Hike Of The At. My Journal Read Something Like "what A Fitting Tribute To All Veterans That I Live In A Country That I Can Take 6 Months Off From Life To Do This Trail"---------------ez