Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day.  And the day would not be complete without a tribute to our fallen heroes, some of whom have gotten back up.

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

This is all from a year ago...

[patch]

For The Fallen

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

[Danube of Thought]

The following is from Powerline. These are the remarks of Leo Thorsness, a Medal of Honor recipient who was very severely tortured in captivity in North Vietnam.

"When I wrote Surviving Hell in 2008, initially I did not include discussions of torture, knowing that others had earlier described it. My editors encouraged me to add it; if our younger population reads only current books, they may perceive that the treatment at Abu Grab and Gitmo was real torture. I added my experience being tortured so that readers will know that there is abuse and humiliation, and there is torture.

"If someone surveyed the surviving Vietnam POWs, we would likely not agree on one definition of torture. In fact, we wouldn't agree if waterboarding is torture. For example, John McCain, Bud Day and I were recently together. Bud is one of the toughest and most tortured Vietnam POWs. John thinks waterboarding is torture; Bud and I believe it is harsh treatment, but not torture. Other POWs would have varying opinions. I don't claim to be right; we just disagree. But as someone who has been severely tortured over an extended time, my first hand view on torture is this:

"Torture, when used by an expert, can produce useful, truthful information. I base that on my experience. I believe that during torture, there is a narrow 'window of truth' as pain (often multiple kinds) is increased. Beyond that point, if torture increases, the person breaks, or dies if he continues to resist."

[verner]

Great post DOT. And since Bud and Leo are not running for office, or trying to make nice with a bunch of democrats, I think their opinion is much more valid than either McCain's or that insufferable ass Jesse Venture's.

[verner]

I would like to honor my father's best friend today, PFC Neil E Cook, company C 94th Infantry division who died at Orshcholz Germany on January 20 1945.

We'll never forget you Neil.

[centralcal]

Gratitude and prayers for all those who died for freedom and for us.

[jean]

I watched the Memorial Day show on PBS last night.I get dibs on Trace Atkins.Doubt ladies above the Mason -Dixon will have much interest anyway

[centralcal]

now, now, Jean - I love Trace Atkins! I don't care about the dibs, just wanted you to know that you don't have to live in a certain area to appreciate Trace.

[PeterUK]

I would like to say a word for my maternal grandfather,whom I never met. He died of "gas gangrene" inflicted during the 1914-18 War.He didn't have to go,he had four little daughters,was over the age being conscripted,he was a mining engineer in a reserved occupation.
But he went,he served and because he died of his injuries after the war was over,his widow,my grandmother received no pension.
His home town turned out for his funeral to witness his journey as he was borne on a gun carriage to his last resting place.

My step-grandfather also served in the same conflict.He was captured by the Germans during a counter attack after most of his company was killed during an assault on the German trenches.
I was told, by one his few remaining comrades,that my step-grandfather would have won a medal,but all the officers had been killed.
He was a good man.The bravest thing he did was bringing up another man's family between the Wars.
God rest them both.

[Original MikeS]

From way back...it would be nice if our nation's crack journalists had a whiff of a clue...

"A Whiff of a Clue" would be a great title for Ayers next Obama biography!

[narciso]

My most direct tie is my brother out there in the Stans, and a distant cousin who a long time ago, held a command post during
the Bay of Pigs, but he died some years ago
in relative obscurity. Also there's one other fellow who was a Veteran and a civil servant of some distinction, who shares many of the same sentiments on this site

[Manuel Transmission]

DoT,

Mrs. M/T and I had the great privilege of spending time with Leo and his wife a couple of years ago. What an incredible and gracious couple! To the point of McCain, Leo was quite reticent to say anything untoward, but there was pain in his expression. Even though Leo later indorsed McCain, I think it was the lessor of...

[Manuel Transmission]

Sheesh, ***Endorsed***

[Ann]

Happy Memorial Day, Everyone!

For all our fallen : The Mansions of the Lord
To fallen soldiers let us sing
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Just divine embrace, eternal light
To the mansions of the Lord.

Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep
All through the ages safely keep
The mansions of the Lord.

TURN IT UP LOUD and don't forget the kleenex.

[Ann]

This one is better: The Mansions of the Lord

[verner]

PUK, sounds like you family was doubly blessed by two very fine men.

They give us a standard to live by, don't they.

[verner]

Girls, try not to be too jealous, but Trace has a place not too far from me. He got a speeding ticket in my town not too long ago.

[sbw]

More accurate title: "Not a Whiff of a Clue"

[clarice]

It has been my privilege to have spent time on several occasions with Bud Day and his lovely wife. Probably the finest man anyone could hope to know.

PUK--what wonderful ancestors!

[Ignatz]

I had twin great uncles who survived WWI even though in the trenches of France, one Marine uncle and one SeeBee uncle who fought their way across the Pacific, one Army infntry uncle who fought his way across Europe and my father who fought all of WWII from Britain, North Africa to Italy, enlisitng prior to Pearl Harbor and not being discharged until after VE day. By the grace of God none of them received any serious wounds, though all were in the thick of things.
I myself put in six years in SAC.

I think I can say on behalf of them, thank God for those who didn't make it back or made it back in pieces.
And for me personally let me add one small note of frustration.
Please can we stop the increasing honoring of all veterans on Memorial Day? That is what Veteran's Day is for. To me it diminshes the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, which is what this day is about. Let's keep it solely for them.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

I would like to pay tribute to:

DELBERT RAY PETERSON who was shot down in his fixed wing air craft at Thua Thien, South Vietnam on March 9, 1966, 4 months into his tour. He was spotted on the ground alive, but injured, and then never heard from again. He is listed on The Wall, Panel 05E, Line 133, as an MIA, body never recovered.

Del was an Air Force Major in the Reserve.

And to all the Vets who contribute or read here, THANK YOU.

[bad]

Great Uncle Gid lost both of his sons at Pearl Harbor. He died believing they contributed to victory in overcoming great evil, that their sacrifice was necessary for the greater good.

[PeterUK]

Clarice,Verner,

Yes indeed. Sadly it died out before it got to me.

[jean]

Verner The world is not fair. The only famous (infamous) person that ever lived close to us was John Daily.You get a hunk and I get a drunk,fat golfer

[LTC John]

"Happy" Memorial Day? Happy Birthday, sure. Happy Thanksgiving, without a doubt. But Memorial Day?

I'd rather people be a mite bit more sober and reflective. The families of the 19 we have lost from TF Phoenix probably wouldn't consider it a "Happy" Memorial Day.

Just a thought. I'm not sure too many people think about something like that.

[MayBee]

I think "happy" is reflexive for holidays, LTC John. But you are correct, reflective is better.
Thinking of you and your men and women, and all the men and women who have done everything that could be done. Amazing grace.

[Ralph L]

In honor of PUK's relatives:
Jupiter
Everyone leaves out the middle verse because we're too soft:
All Lyrics

[Elroy Jetson]

A walk around the cemetery to read some of the names of vets who made ultimate sacrifice.
A ceremony featuring a short speech, a poem, a prayer, and a wreath-laying at the site of a man who was a Vietnam KIA.
The vets and the families of those who died in battle deserve our support on this day. This is shown by simply attending the service near you. I have been slack in recent years, but I promised myself I would never miss another one.
RIP and thank you to all souls lost defending this great country.

[clarice]

Drudge:

Obama observes Memorial Day at Arlington cemetery...

PLAYS GOLF?
Subject: Pool report 5/25/09

POTUS is, reportedly, golfing with Marvin Nicholson. No actual glimpses of the presidential golf game. Aides say POTUS paused at 3 p.m. to observe a moment of silence

[Sue]

Anyone taking note that while NK is shooting off nuclear bombs, the president is playing golf?

[verner]

Yes indeed. Sadly it died out before it got to me.

Don't say that PeterUK. I'm sure it isn't true. If they could be here, I'm sure they would be proud of their grandson. One of their greatest gifts is that by their sacrifice, we've never had to face what they did.

[Ann]

Yes, and where is Michelle Obama and their children? It's not like we are at war or anything.

I can't remember Lady Laura Bush missing a Memorial Day Ceremony.

I can't remember a day the press didn't give President Bush carp for golfing.

[PeterUK]

Verner, Unfortunately we did all over again in 1939-45. Since we have now surrendered to the EU,past sacrifices were in vain.

[bad]

NYT via HotAir:

Male happiness has inched up, and female happiness has dropped. In postfeminist America, men are happier than women.

This is “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness,” the subject of a provocative paper from the economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers.............Or perhaps the problem is political — maybe women prefer egalitarian, low-risk societies, and the cowboy capitalism of the Reagan era had an anxiety-inducing effect on the American female. But even in the warm, nurturing, egalitarian European Union, female happiness has fallen relative to men’s across the last three decades.

WHAT?????

LUN

[bad]

No mention of the state of women's happiness in Muslim ruled countries.

[pager]

We know what the leadership of Iran thinks about women, period, If that makes the women happy, I would be very surprised.

"In one of his last sermons before his death, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini warned of "three threats" to his vision of Islam: the US, the Jews and women. Two decades later, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks he has the United States and the Jews in hand - and is moving on the third "enemy."

Remind me what is the difference between the American government taking away earned bonus money from individuals and the Iran plans to:

" His new law would restore men's Islamic right to divorce their wives without even informing them. Men would also be absolved from paying alimony.
In exchange, they'd be required to pay a mahrieh (a severance payment, whose amount is set in the marriage contract) to a wife they wish to divorce. But the draft law also plans a hefty government tax on the mahrieh. So a divorced woman left with no alimony and no resources except her mahrieh could end up losing most of that to the government. "This text is designed to return women to the dark ages", says Sousan Tahmaspi, a spokesperson for the campaign against the law."

LUN

[Richard Aubrey]

Lt. Joseph H. Marshall III KIA Laos 18 Feb 71. I notified the family and did survivor assistance for some years.
Lt. James G. Aubrey USAF. Killed in a crash on Taiwan 1 OCT 70. He was better than me.