Sunday, May 27, 2012

America the Beautiful - Ray Charles




What is truly strange about this video is that you hear people talking and laughing over it. It kinds of sums up Memorial Day for so many people. They laugh and barbecue and don't give a thought for the people who we should remember this day. Those who served and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

I know that we don't forget them. We never forget them. Especially on Memorial Day.

14 comments:

Chip S. said...

Thanks for posting these videos, Troop. This is supposed to be a day of remembrance. I kinda get annoyed by people going around saying "Happy Memorial Day!" like it's Thanksgiving or something.

Chip S. said...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

windbag said...

I went on a rant to my crew the other night. It's Memorial Day...not Veteran's Day. That's November 11. Thank God for veterans and God bless them.

This is Memorial Day. People put their asses on the line and died to allow us to open restaurants, dress shops, star in reality shows, clear our land, raise horses...whatever we want to do. I'm humbled to enjoy the benefits that their sacrifice allow me.

Come November I'll thank the veterans. This weekend is for remembering those we cannot thank.

I read this yesterday. God bless her, please.

TTBurnett said...

Here's something I wrote a year ago:
http://amba12.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/mine-eyes-have-seen-the-glory/

Anonymous said...

We made a toast to my daughter B today whose presence was much missed today .

MamaM said...

Thank you for sharing the link, Windbag.

In addition to the loss, sacrifice and respect revealed, it also connected to a powerful set of four stories, in a series called Final Salute, by Jim Sheeler, which I found deeply moving.

AllenS said...

Thank you for this post remembering our fallen military veterans.

ndspinelli said...

You've probably heard this before but I always feel like I should say thanks to Chuck Manarel. He was several years older than me and a great mentor. I played baseball w/ older kids[back when you played 20 pickup games to every organized game]. Chuck helped teach me how to play, how to handle older kids, and he stepped in when older kids went over the line. The innocence of my youth was lost when Chuck died in Viet Nam.

Michael Haz said...

Thank you, veterans.

Thank you for your service, Allen.

Thanks to your daughter, Allie.

Anonymous said...

All active duty will one day be Veterans, we need to keep doing our best for them, thanks Allen and Roger and the rest of you vets here. And deepest gratitude to those who mde the ultimate sacrifice.

windbag said...

The innocence of my youth was lost when Chuck died in Viet Nam.

One of my friends lost a brother in Viet Nam. He was much older than we were. I never knew him, I just saw his picture hanging on the wall when I was at my friend's house. I can only imagine the pain/pride/rage/sorrow his parents dealt with.

My earliest memories of prayer was Wednesday night prayer meetings. We split up, men in one room, women in another, and prayed for an eternity. All the old men prayed "for the boys in Viet Nam." I had no idea what we were praying for, who those boys were, or what a Viet Nam was, but I knew that, when I prayed, it had to include petitions for them.

I used to skip school to watch the heroes come home from Viet Nam. Who could ever get enough of watching families reunited and thousands of prayers, hopes, and dreams come true?

rcommal said...

Living near an installation, I hear "Taps" every single evening. It always touches me. But some days I tear up, and I know from experience this will be one of them.

R.I.P. , and thanks.

Chip S. said...

Sorry for the link whoring, but I just had to say this.

The Dude said...

I could hear taps played at Fort Detrick in the evening.

Of course, in military school, we had all the bugle calls a body could stand. Reveille at oh dark hundred - And They're Off!