LOL, I was watching. Then poof mia thread...
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LOL, I was watching. Then poof mia thread...
1. I have never associated with anyone on 3/s facebook page, and I never will.
2. I deleted my FB account because I have more than 2 brain cells still fully functioning.
3. My service means that troglodytes everywhere are allowed to continue mixing up federal holidays at their own leisure.
4. The collective intelligence level of the majority of the civilian USA population is such that the fundamental necessity of a standing military in a free state is a dubious proposition at best to them. Asking these unwashed masses to differentiate holidays of military appreciation is a stretch.
5. There is nothing wrong with thanking a member for his/her service--EVEN APART FROM A HOLIDAY. I have thanked vets I was walking past while at the Vietnam Memorial. It was not a holiday, and I have no idea if those members actually saw action in Vietnam or not--nor does it matter.
6. Memorial Day may mark the remembrance of those who died while serving. It would naturally follow that those who grasp the sacrifice and loss of life may well have a renewed sense of appreciation of those who stand guard today; the "rough men who stand ready to do violence on other's behalf".
7. To those who are within 2 hours of a national US cemetary, I highly encourage you to visit at some point this weekend. I never did as a child, but I wish I could have. This year, I visited Henri Chapelle. Previously, I've visited Margraten. While I've been to Arlington (and if you never have--you should), the experience is somewhat different than visiting one of our national cemeteries overseas. Henri Chapelle sits amidst the rolling hills of seemingly endless farmland in Belgium. The juxtaposition of such a serene environment against the utter devastation and bloodshed that occurred nearby--is profound. There lies the remains of nearly 8,000 servicemembers who died in the relative vicinity. Infantrymen. Armor. Aviators. Civil Engineers. Generals. Privates. Medal of Honor recipients. All are enshrined in that hallowed ground. And one has to grasp that gravity of the situation--that here were men who knew little if anything of this land, most who had never been to Europe at all (2nd generation immigrants and such), and yet they fought and died to free a people the had never seen and whom they new almost nothing about. And in this cemetery alone, lies more soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines than have died in all of the War on Terror. This is not to belittle those who have died in the War on Terror, but just to underscore the sacrifice and expanse of the situation; Henri Chapelle is but one of numerous WWII cemeteries in europe (Margraten has even more enshrined).
8. I have the utmost respect for the fact that George W. Bush was the first (and thus far only) president to have visited Margraten. Approximately 31% of our WWII dead are buried overseas. So while a memorial service at nearby Arlington is appreciated, in many ways it speaks to the importance of the sacrifice and honoring it--if the president denotes memorial day by visiting one of our overseas national cemeteries. These are brothers in arms who never returned home--it seems the least we can do if our president makes the effort to visit their final resting places.
9. May this holy day bring you a renewed sense of awe and appreciation of the toll that has been paid to sustain each of our personal freedoms, afford us our individuality, and inspire free men and women to greater personal and professional accomplishments and technological advancements that would simply not be possible anywhere else.
Well don't I feel like an idiot. I'm embarrassed to say I never gave it a whole lot of thought. Perhaps I was fortunate enough to never lose any buddies in the war. Maybe because was never given the opportunity to deploy (short of turning down two job offers and extending my contract). Because of this, I always brush off and ignore the "thanks" on any of the days. It never really dawned on me that memorial day should not be about recognizing vets, but instead to focus solely on remembering the lost.
Thanks for the enlightenment.
No thanks, it's why I rarely go to FailBook.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrGonzo
Ugh, Crossfitters are the worst.
This is awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5E4NiP4hpM