RSSMemorial Day 2008 … Thank you for Our Freedoms
MEMORIAL DAY: May 26, 2008
(Click on pic)
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John15:13)
A special thanks to the men and women of our armed forces who have given the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedoms. Thank you for your service, sacrifice, honor and dedication to this country.
So often we take for granted the very rights and civil liberties that so many have died for. Brave sons, daughters, husbands, wives and friends who answered the call to protect the freedoms of others.
FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE
There is a grave cost that can never be forgotten and should never be taken lightly. To the families of those who have lost love ones fighting for America, we say thank you as well.
In a time of such division, Memorial Day is a time to stand up and say thank you, no matter what or how one feels about any present conflict. Those that have unselfishly given their lives did so for all.
We should honor never forget the sacrifices made by our fallen heros and especially honor them today.
Today should be simply used to stop and say “thanks” to the men and women of our Armed Forces. It should be used as a day to spend a few quiet moments thinking about the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who went into harm’s way and never came home again.
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Frank Woodruff Buckles, last known WWI veteran honored for Memorial Day
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Returning Meaning to Memorial Day; Memorial Day began in 1865
Bush pays tribute to troops on Memorial Day
“On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the commander in chief and try to tell you how proud I am,” Bush told an audience of military figures, veterans and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. Of the men and women buried in this hallowed cemetery, he said, “They’re an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens.”
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16 Responses to “Memorial Day 2008 … Thank you for Our Freedoms”
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Thanks to all those who have given the ultimate sacrafice. God bless and keep our troops!
Some might think it inane, or perhaps even offensive, on this Memorial Day to remind people about Natalee Holloway. Yet I see no disconnect.
The phrase “justice for all” is still, I believe, part of our national pledge of allegiance. The ideal is often sullied, always imperfectly applied, but never to be forgotten or slighted.
Our nation’s survival is not threatened by Aruba and its corrupt government, but our people who go there may well be. More important, while the news media and our monied interests seem to have forgotten that we still have no answers, and our government seems disinterested, there are some people who remain determined to seek for answers and justice, and to pursue the truth without end.
Where are those people to be found? On this and, perhaps, similar blogs, and hopefully nationwide.
As the third anniversary of her disappearance looms, we shall continue to do what we can.
With this in mind, I think the following is appropriate for all of us on this Memorial Day.
The selection is to be found on YouTube; the performers are the amazing choral group Libera.
The music comes from Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia, a work which, at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries, was a rallying theme for the Finnish people in their quest for independence from Russia, in much the same way as the first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony served to inspire much of Occupied Europe in World War II.
And the images shown on this selection are, I believe, British soldiers from World War II.
I believe and hope that this will be inspirational to all, whatever one’s religious beliefs or the lack thereof.
Here is the url to the performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omlBeCGLFG4&feature=related
Here are the lyrics (I think the actual words used in this performance do not conform to this version, but this is the only one that I know):
Be Still My Soul
words by Katharina von Schlegel
translation by Jane Borthwick
music by Jean Sibelius
public domain
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul; your God doth undertake,
To guide the future as He has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and wind still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed, we shall meet at last.
To those that have served and given their lives so that others can live in peace.
This is the reason why we support the troops and the wars. You cannot have one without the other. Those that have volunteered and were drafted over the years have provided a service to our country that we can never forget.
On Memorial Day, I give special thanks to my namesake who is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Thanks … Red
A truly inspiring FP tribute.
Thank you!
Janet
Richard
I agree. Thank you.
A reminder to what the pastor of Barack Obama openly declared regarding the Natalee Holloway case. Rather than condemn the corrupt investigation which has denied an American citizen justice … he played the race card in his message … a message that was heard by the congregation at Trinity United while Jeremiah Wright still held the coveted position of Obama’s campaign “spiritual advisor”.
JUSTICE FOR NATALEE HOLLOWAY!
Janet
++++++++++++
Obama’s pastor disses Natalee Holloway
‘White girl goes off and gives it up’ in Aruba, preacher pal says
January 27, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama’s longtime friend and spiritual adviser trashed the memory of a missing and presumed dead American teenage girl, according to church publications reviewed by WND.
Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the controversial minister of Obama’s church in Chicago, cited the case of Natalee Holloway’s disappearance in Aruba in complaining about what he sees as the media’s bias in covering white victims of crime over black victims.
“Black women are being raped daily in Darfur, Sudan, in the Congo and in Sub-Saharan Africa. That doesn’t make news,” Wright said in the August 2005 edition of Trumpet Magazine, a publication of his Trinity United Church of Christ.
But, “One 18-year-old white girl from Alabama gets drunk on a graduation trip to Aruba, goes off and ‘gives it up’ while in a foreign country, and that stays in the news for months!” he added. “Maybe I am missing something!”
The circumstances involving the coed’s disappearance remain unclear, and the case remains unsolved. Holloway left Mountain Brook, Ala., on a May 2005 senior class trip to Aruba.
Attempts to reach her family for comment were unsuccessful. But her mother, Beth Holloway, has written a book, “Loving Natalee,” in which she reveals her daughter named Jesus Christ as one of the most influential people in her life in a trove of writings she found in her bedroom.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59887
God Bless all, and keep them safe & strong.
god bless our soldiers!!
I have a nephew that is an elite green beret he is in afghanistan now on his 5th tour of duty.. he won the purple heart for saving three of his friends and killing five of the enemy… the hummer blew up he escaped but his best friend lost his life…. he bled to death he lost his arms and died in my nephews arms…
please remember my newphew in your prayers………he is going to be a daddy in november.. that is when he returns.. please help me pray he returns home safely
thank you
and god bless all our fallen soldiers.. may they all rest in peace…
and please lord
keep those that are there now in safety.. give peace and comfort to their families…
GOD BLESS OUR SOLDIERS!!!!!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!
God bless all of our soldiers. You are the heroes among heroes.
Regardless of our leanings, you protect our right to lean.
Thanks for always having my back. God protect you wherever you are.
Promote peace, hug a soldier!
Thank you to every man and woman who has served in the Armed Forces for our Country.
It is so true, the price of our freedom is truly never “free”.
To all of you—past, present and future.
God Bless Our Troops
*** GOD BLESS AMERICA ***
God Bless all our men and women in our nation’s sevice….I grew up near Arlington and when out of town guests came they all wanted to visit there. It is a beautiful and moving place…a very special place. My father served under Patton and was in the Battle of the Bulge…he had two Purple Hearts but he would never talk about how he got them….his favorite story was about the world’s greatest party ever the Liberation of Paris…. A bunch of Allied soldiers were drinking and partying in the Ritz ballroom and all sang each others national anthems…it was Papa’s turn to lead and all he could get out was ” Oh say can you see …..” he couldn’t remember the next line …..so a British Major took over and said he knew the words and led the anthem …just try to imagine that moment ….God Bless them all on earth and in Heaven.
Yes, give thanks to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, their own lives. How great and selfless they and their families are. We live in a great country, thanks to our military. The land of the free and the home of the brave. How lucky we are.
I received a email from a Marine in Iraq. I loved how he closed his letter.
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE, BUT OUR MARINES ARE WILLING TO PAY YOUR SHARE.
I urge all of you who read here, don’t wait to honor after they have fallen. Please find a true way to support our troops. There are many good orgranizations out there to lead you.
Anyairman.com
Anymarine.com
Anysoldier.com
Anysailor.com
Anycoastguard.com
Adoptaplatoon.org
these are a few.
These man and women are willing to die for our freedom. Let them know how thankful you are.
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
MoveAmericaForward is sponsoring a huge care package campaign to be shipped on June 26th to our soldiers in Iraq. The Campaign Store
http://www.thecampaignstore.com/store/default.asp?parentid=409
offers these care packages for as little as $16 including shipping. You can choose to support 1, 2 or 4 soldiers, a squad, a platoon or a company pack. In addition, Jelly Belly company is sending 100,000 packages of Jelly Bellys. The soldiers have asked for these items, but not because they are concerned for themselves. They use the jelly belly packages to give to kids in what they term “candy diplomacy”. Think of it, these kids may be forever shaped by the kindness and caring of our soldiers.
Dead Troops Remembered By President Who Had Them Killed.
And that says it all!
No Eric, you dense dope, believe it or not George W. Bush didn’t intentionally have our troops killed nor did any other President before him.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!
PS, Please give Eric some brains
Eric – these people give thier effort, time and lives for assbites like you. Please show respect and just say thanks….
Mrs. Red, I love that ….assbites