Memorial Day 2006

[John-in-KC]

This weekend, amidst all of whatever you do, take time out to reflect on 230 years and more of United States History...

 

Our Revolution

The Barbary Coast campaigns

The War of 1812

The Mexican War...

 

... and on up to Operation Desert Storm

Operation Enduring Freedom

and Operation Iraqi Freedom

 

Young men and women, wearing our Nation's uniform, fighting for their buddies in the squad, their platoons, their regiments, their Services, and their Nation, have paid the highest price to keep our great Nation free.

 

Please, remember the fallen warriors, be they killed on the battlefield, died in the hospital, or lived a full life after the war and passed away gently.

 

If you get a chance, remember to thank a veteran or a Soldier, Sailor, Airman Marine, or Coast Guardsman serving too!

 

 

Thank you.

[evmori]

Thanks to those who fought so we could be free.

[Cubmaster-Fred]

 

MEMORIAL DAY

 

 

Memorial Day is a patriotic holiday in the United States of America, that is a celebration of remembrance for the brave service of men and women who have given their lives for our country. Originally, Memorial Day honored those who had died in the Civil War. Now it honors those who have died in all wars and conflicts.

 

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was believed to have been first celebrated in Waterloo, N.Y.. Waterloo is considered the birthplace of this holiday because the people of Waterloo were the first people to proclaim a day to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil War. This date was May 5, 1866 and was celebrated every year on this date. The people of Waterloo closed their businesses and placed flowers and flags on the graves of their soldiers. Flags were flown at half mast.

 

Major General John A. Logan declared May 30, 1868 as a special day for honoring Union soldiers killed in battle. He was the Commander in Chief of an organization of Union Civil war veterans called the Grand Army of the Republic. They took charge of Memorial Day celebrations in the northern states. The South did not observe Decoration Day, preferring to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I.

 

Memorial Day was moved to a Monday in 1968, along with 3 other holidays, to create convenient 3 day weekends. Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971. In December of 2000 a resolution for a National Moment of Remembrance was passed.

 

This Memorial day I would like to ask everyone to join in and have a Moment of Remembrance. At 3pm on Memorial Day please pause for a moment of silence, or listening to Taps, to show remembrance and respect for those who have given show much.

 

Fred

 

PS: please don't forget to pause for a moment at 3pm. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

[BrentAllen]

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

 

Scouts pay homage to America's fallen

Chris Reinolds - Staff

Sunday, May 28, 2006

 

Generations of Boy Scouts paid tribute to fallen soldiers Saturday by planting 18,000 American flags on graves at the Marietta National Cemetery.

 

About 1,500 Scouts and volunteers attended, a turnout that shocked organizer Bob Cato. In years past, the event, which is held the weekend of Memorial Day, has attracted about 700 Scouts and volunteers.

 

Cato said better promotion probably caused the improved turnout, which more recently has included Girl Scouts as participants.

 

"We did it in record time," said Cato, a staff trainer in the Foothills District of the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Every grave had a flag by 10 a.m.

 

Scouts set each flag vertically 6 inches from the gravestone, stepped back and saluted the flag and the grave.

 

The Boy Scouts have been planting flags for Memorial Day weekend for 14 years at the Marietta cemetery. The Scouts, in their uniforms, received community service patches for their effort.

 

East Cobb County Scouts Matt Thompson and Dillon Eoff rested under a tree after planting about 35 flags each. Matt, 15, said he tries to attend the flag-planting every year. And Dillon, 12, said he has planted flags each Memorial Day since he was a Cub Scout.

 

"Each flag you lay down, you know you're honoring a dead soldier. It gives you a good feeling to put the flag in front of the graves," Dillon said. "It's to celebrate all these people who died for our country."

 

Al Weatherly, a board member of the Atlanta area Boy Scouts, noted that the Scouts also will participate in Monday's Memorial Day event at the cemetery. The ceremony will feature guest speaker Lt. Michael E. Thornton, a Medal of Honor recipient who served in the military from the Vietnam War through Desert Storm.

 

The cemetery, which opened in 1866, is on Washington Avenue off Ga. 120, a few blocks east of the Marietta Square.

 

The Scouts have been a part of the National Memorial Day Ceremony since 1946, Weatherly said.

 

Troop leader Al Friel of east Cobb has brought his Scouts to the cemetery for 14 years. This year, 30 boys, ages 11 to 16, planted flags.

 

"Like all of us, we lost a lot of friends who weren't much older than these guys," said Friel, who was in the Navy in World War II. "We want to get the message to the boys about the importance of remembering comrades who've passed."

 

Nikole Brand, 11, is a Girl Scout in east Cobb who came to the event along with her family. Both of her brothers are Scouts, and her mother is a Cub Scout leader.

 

Nikole said she comes "to show reverence and respect to these soldiers who died here and show them we remember them and thank them for the freedom they gave us."

 

[DanKroh]

Our town has a Memorial Day parade every year that usually consists of the town's veterans, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the Cub Scouts, the Brownies, and the local baseball league.

 

This was the first year I marched, since I am now the Cubmaster for our pack.

 

My older son marched with his troop (and the town's other troop), under the guidance of one of the ASMs, since his Scoutmaster (former Navy man) was the Grandmaster of the parade.

 

The two packs decided to march together, and the young cubs did a great job carrying the American flags as well as our pack flag and a Cub Scout banner.

 

At the half way point, we stop at the firestation for drinks. When we formed back up again, all that was left in the parade were the veterans, the two troops, and our pack of Cub Scouts (the other pack dropped out).

 

I was very proud of our boys as they continued to carry the flags the second mile of the parade route, and stand very respectfully at the cemetary during the short service for our veterans. Especially since probably half the boys there were Tiger Cubs. What a great experience for them.

[acco40]

I marched in our towns Memorial Day parade on Monday with my two Boy Scout sons. I was sad to say less than 25% of the Scouts from our troop showed up. It was about the tenth year in a row my family has participated.

 

However, I fall more in the "Andy Rooney" camp wrt Memorial Day. None of the soldiers, sailors, marines or airmen "gave their lives" for our country. Their lives were taken from them. I'd like to see less effort "remembering" and more on how we (all of humanity) can prevent the lives of the young people whose lives may be taken future if we can't figure out how to prevent this ghastly phenomenon we call war.

[ozemu]

I understand that this thread has been cleaned up. I did not return after my single post. So I don't know what transpired. If I offended anyone I give my apologies...

 

At our Memorial day (ANZAC Day) our Troop attends the Dawn Service. Do you have the same? It is held at the exact time that our troops first went into action as a national army. A few state contingents to overseas conflicts prior to federation but the landing at ANZAC Cove in Turkey in 1915 was the first national action.

 

A very moving service, darkness, candles, excellant choir, piper and bugle, vet's standing around the Eternal flame...and no marching...and it is short...and the Scouts just watch. The Scouts really enjoy attending more than the morning parade and service.

 

We have been going for 10 years or so. Now the older Scouts are bringing their Venturer Unit and another Troop also attends in a small way. We get about 50% and it is the 10-12 year olds who don't come in numbers.

 

I think they keep coming because they really respect the service given by defence pers. For a short moment they feel a part of something big. Some wear grand-dad's medals. All wear full uniform without ever really being seen. On think that we are doing something right with our young people.

[GopherJudy]

We have 2 national cemeteries here on Long Island, Pinelawn & Calverton. My 2 children & I have been going to Calverton since May 2003 when my son was in his 1st year of Cub Scouts. Our pack reserves the same site every year & we do that along with the Boy Scout troop my son belongs to now. It was reported on our local tv news that there were 6,000 volunteers, mostly Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts (Brownies & Juniors) this year & that 192,000 were placed at Calverton. We go back on June 3rd for flag retrieval.

 

We also marched in our town's Memorial Day Parade & they have a special ceremony at the end where the different organizations are called up to present the wreaths that they made or bought. The Webelos I's from our pack made a wreath this year.