Memorial Day

[Muddyboots]

Its nice to have a 3 day weekend but this is a day of remembrance of all those who put themselves in harms way for all of us.

Please take a few moments this weekend to give thanks to those who have given ultimate sacrifice.

We all have heard Taps but the words are powerful as well.


Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest
God is nigh

Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright
From afar, drawing near
Falls the night

Thanks and praise for our days
Neath the sun, neath the stars, neath the sky
As we go, this we know
God is nigh

Next time you hear the bugler, maybe these words will ring through as well.

I posted this in the past but I believe it is important for us to remember ALL those who have gone before us. I hope you will share as well.

"My dad was WWII combat vet in Pacific Theater as rear gunner/mechanic Dauntless Dive Bomber Ace of Spades squadron. When he passed years ago, I was shocked at the Marine contingent that came to funeral to provide the Honor Guard. Somehow they knew he was WWII combat vet and the reverence for WWII combat vet, the honor and the Taps was heart wrenching but beautiful in a way I can never describe. My dad's discharge record was there for Midway and Marshall Island campaigns and the Marines were so reverent discussing the history. The Marines were so respectful and reserved it was my honor to receive them.

IMO, the respect and honor for all those who put themselves in harms way for us is completely lost upon this generation, the media and previous Administration."

Thankfully this administration embraces our past, present and future of our military.

God bless all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and their families.

 

[LVJ76]

Amen!

Thanks and appreciation to all those who serve, who have served, and those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

May God bless you always!

 

[NW Hunter]

Fly our flag proudly!

 

[Ol' Red]

Hearing taps always puts a lump in my throat. It always brings back my grandpa's funeral. I grew up over half of my juvenile life in his home. I was a young private, home on emergency leave. Grandpa was a WWI veteran. Taps were played after the 21-gun salute.

 

[Deputy819]

My Grandpa stormed the beaches of Normandy and made it to something like D-Day + 20 before being shot in the left shoulder by a German sniper. He survived….thank the Lord or "I" wouldn't be here. He came back home and was a great auto mechanic despite not being able to raise his left arm over his head. He LOVED telling his "war stories" and I sure loved hearing them! Ultimately, diabetes was what brought him to rest…..he was too big and strong for anything else to stop him. I miss my Grandpa and I sure am PROUD of him.

 

[birddog 68]

As always I am thankful to all that gave The ultimate sacrifice.

 

[74honker]

Very well put Muddyboots! As many others, I always choke up at taps. Give thanks everyday for what we have here today, but especially this day, many have payed dearly for it.

 

[Whitlash2U]

Simple things - If it wasn't for them we wouldn't have a site like this!

 

[ickes123]

WELL DONE AMEN

 

[Mark37082]

Thanks for sharing. There will always be a place in my heart for those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

 

[Veteran]

Yes, God is nigh to the one's who gave and are willing to give their lives in the final last measure of devotion.
I have said many times, we stand upon the shoulders of giants. Freedom is not free. I said this again to my daughter this morning.

Of all the accounts I have read of gallantry and medal of honor recipients, this one I read recently stuck in my mind, and affected me.
It may be neither as valient or as heroic as any of the other accounts of the MOH recipients. But, it affected me, because it is the account of
a service man who had to hug literal fire hotter than a blast furnace to his body which burned all his flesh to the bare bone, it also put out his eyes. I just can't reflect on the pain of that. He did it to save his crew members. Do you know what white phosphorous is? In the service, it was known as "Willie Peter".

It burns intensley white hot. This is the account of man, a normal guy in many respects, who gave his all. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by General Curtis LeMay in his hospital bed 3 days after this incident, because he was not expected to live. They did not have a Medal of Honor to present him in the Pacific war theater except the one in a case on display in Hawaii. The busted open the case and presented him that one.

Here is the story of Henry Eugene Erwin Sr. , a united states Army Airman.

Medal of Honor action

On April 12, 1945, Erwin, called "Red" by his crewmates, was serving as the radio operator aboard a Boeing B-29 Superfortress named City of Los Angeles, piloted by Captain George Simeral. The plane was in formation for a low-level attack on a chemical plant at Koriyama, 120 miles (190 km) north of Tokyo, on their 11th combat mission. Along with their primary jobs, the (12) B-29 crew members had additional duties to perform. Erwin's was to drop phosphorus smoke bombs through a chute in the aircraft's floor when the lead plane reached a designated assembly area. He was given the signal to drop the bombs when the aircraft was just off the south coast of Japan and under attack by antiaircraft fire and Japanese fighters.[2]​

Erwin pulled the pin and released a bomb into the chute, but the fuse malfunctioned and ignited the phosphorus prematurely, burning at 1500°F (815°C). The canister flew back up the chute and into Erwin's face, blinding him, searing off one ear and obliterating his nose. Phosphorus pentoxide smoke immediately filled the aircraft, making it impossible for the pilot to see his instrument panel. Erwin was afraid the bomb would burn through the metal floor and make contact with the bomb bay. Completely blind, he picked it up and, feeling his way, crawled around the gun turret and headed for the copilot's window. His face and arms were covered with ignited phosphorus, and his path was blocked by the navigator's folding table, hinged to the wall, but down and locked. The navigator had left his table to make a sighting. Erwin could not release the table's latches with one hand, so he grabbed the white-hot bomb between his bare right arm and his ribcage. In the few seconds needed to raise the table, the phosphorus burned through his flesh to the bone. His body on fire, he stumbled into the cockpit, threw the bomb out the window, and collapsed between the pilot's seats.[2]​

The smoke cleared enough for Simeral to pull the B-29 out of a dive at 300 feet (91 m) above the water and turn toward Iwo Jima, where Erwin could be given emergency treatment. His crew members extinguished his burning clothe with a fire extinguisher and administered first aid, but whenever Erwin's burns were uncovered, phosphorus embedded in his skin would begin to smolder; white phosphorus is known to cause extremely terrible wounds, as the burning chemical cannot be extinguished if oxygen is present, and continues to burn through flesh until it consumes itself or is extracted. It is also toxic. Although in excruciating pain, he remained conscious throughout the flight and spoke only to inquire about the safety of the crew. Once on Iwo Jima, the medical personnel who examined Erwin expected him to die.[2]​

Army Air Force officials, led by Major General Curtis LeMay and Brigadier General Lauris Norstad, approved Erwin's award of the Medal of Honor in a matter of hours so that a presentation could be made while he still lived. A medal was expeditiously flown from Hawaii to Guam and presented to him in the hospital there.[2]​ Amazingly, though, Erwin survived his burns. He was flown back to the United States, and after 30 months and 41 surgeries, his eyesight was restored and he regained use of one arm. He received a disability discharge as a master sergeant in October 1947.[2] ​

For 37 years, Erwin served as a benefits counselor at the veterans' hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1951, his story was included in the movie The Wild Blue Yonder; Erwin was portrayed by Dave Sharpe.[2]​

You can google the man's life on Wikipedia: here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_E._Erwin
There was a picture I saw of him in his hospital bed for the medal presentation. He was wrapped completely like a mummy in bandages.

Yes, remember all those who have gone before, and those who did and didn't come back because they loved our country and their fellow
men and families more than life. God is Nigh. Day is done, Gone the sun. Falls the Night. God is Nigh.

The playing of Taps will be for our country if we living ever forget. Please hold all the heroes and servicemen and women in remembrance this Memorial Day. Go to your local cemetary and reflect upon those who went before, whose graves fly the flag still.

 

[Hydra6]

48th Infantry Brigade (Separate, Heavy), Georgia Army National Guard. We deployed to Iraq for a year from June 2005 to June 2006. As an Infantry officer, I spent many years in 2-121IN and knew several of these men. 20 years ago............

 

[Muddyboots]

In June 1994, the 50th Anniversary of D-Day, I just happened to be there for a business trip to Caen. Pure coincidence but the timing was perfect. As result, I brought back some unique memorabilia that was limited but available to French companies. I received as a gift from the company I was visiting.

In addition, we took a day to participate in various events and activities. Standing on beaches looking up at concrete bunkers its heart wrenching realizing the carnage exactly where I was standing. It just made you realize the courage it took to charge fully automatic fire etc.

I sat in the American Cemetery of Normandy on the same bench seen in Saving Private Ryan. There were several groups of Americans there including D-Day veterans. The clean white crosses all in a line, the overwhelming solitude, the quiet whispers, the sobbing of people was to your core. I never thought that I would cry like a baby under this circumstance but I did with zero apologies to anyone.

IMO, every American needs to visit Normandy and sit in the cemetery.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Thanks for starting this thread, Buddy. Thanks to all who have served.