About Memorial Day

dawsonbob

dawsonbob

Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Messages
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Just a thought as many people take off for a long weekend of barbecue, beer and play. Many people will never give a thought to what the holiday is really for, and many others, sadly, don’t even know.

I’d like to take some time to remember some real American Idols -- those who gave up all their tomorrows so we can have ours. I want to thank, in my simple way, all those who fought to give us the freedoms we enjoy today, the ones who paid the price so that we can have our barbecues in peace.

I want to say thanks to the men I served with, especially those who didn’t make it back, and thank all those who are still sacrificing for us today. I remember you, and I’ll never forget.

Happy Memorial Day.

Semper Fi.

Bob Dawson

Note: If the moderators want to move this, that’s fine. I just didn’t know where to put it, and I hang out here on W&SS most of the time, so here it is.
 
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Memorial Day is always a special day for me. My Dad died on Memorial Day, May 31, 1982. It's not very often that Memorial Day falls on the 31st, but you can't have everything.

He would have given you a Semper Fi right back. He was 1st Mar. Div. WW2.

Most people in the country will just go ahead and eat the hot dogs, hamburgers with a smattering of potato salad. Maybe I will just go to Arlington and visit some heroes. My Dad is a bit too far to drive right now.
 
Don,

Sorry to hear about your Dad, but that was a fitting day for a Marine to pass away. He was what Memorial Day is all about.

Incidentally, My Dad was also in the 1st Mar Div in WW II, then Korea, but retired before Vietnam (he left that one to me). He passed away in '83.
 
One of the country music stations was saying it is your obligation to go find a veteran's group service and attend. It got me thinking, this is something I haven't done for years, and I am going to make the effort (no matter how small) to show some respect.

To all those who have served, and especially those who gave their lives protecting our freedoms, our way of life, and the freedoms of others...THANK YOU. You have my respect and admiration.
 
dawsonbob said:
I want to say thanks to the men I served with, especially those who didn’t make it back, and thank all those who are still sacrificing for us today. I remember you, and I’ll never forget.
Happy Memorial Day.

Semper Fi.
Bob Dawson
Note: If the moderators want to move this, that’s fine. I just didn’t know where to put it, and I hang out here on W&SS most of the time, so here it is.
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Thanks Bob...this does mean a lot and something we should all do; take a moment to be thankful for those that have given the ultimate sacrifice, those still serving and those that have served in the past. There are a lot of veterans to thank for the right to freely post on this forum and enjoy the hobbies we do. I think this is quite relevant…

It's sad, I have my guys working today and tomorrow shipping equipment out; drink a cold beer for them. They are busting their butt at this moment (and I need to get back up to the line-haul site!), and doing a great job. No bitching, no complaining, just sound professionals getting the job done and doing it well.

v/r
ROCK6
 
ROCK6 said:
Thanks Bob...this does mean a lot and something we should all do; take a moment to be thankful for those that have given the ultimate sacrifice, those still serving and those that have served in the past. There are a lot of veterans to thank for the right to freely post on this forum and enjoy the hobbies we do. I think this is quite relevant…

It's sad, I have my guys working today and tomorrow shipping equipment out; drink a cold beer for them. They are busting their butt at this moment (and I need to get back up to the line-haul site!), and doing a great job. No bitching, no complaining, just sound professionals getting the job done and doing it well.

v/r
ROCK6
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It's too bad you and your guys have to work on a holiday weekend, but things need to be done. There are a lot of people serving around the world that will be working this weekend, too, so thanks for remembering them and taking the time to post.

PS: I don't drink, but I'm sure that a lot of our fellow forumites will make up for my tea-totaling ways :D
 
Semper Fi Bob. It is sad that for many people Memorial Day means little more than a BBQ, a day off from work or heading to the store to take advantage of a sale.

Don, thanks to your father and a belated Semper Fi to him.
Rock, thanks for what you're doing.

I think these two lines from a song sum up everything about Memorial Day......
Think of all your liberties and recall,
Some gave all
 
Semper Fi, BlackHills. Maybe the day just means a little more to those of us who served, especially those of us who lost good men keeping America free. With a little luck, maybe some of those people enjoying their BBQ will stop and realize why they have the day off, and say a quiet thank you for what they have.
 
Bob,

Was your Dad on Cape Gloucester, Peleliu or Okinawa? My Dad was on the latter two, didn't like them much at all. :)

He was in the 'Tracks and had to stay on those incredibly hostile places all night, that's where he actually got to fight, he drove all day long taking casulaties out and ammunition and water back in.

Thanks to all of you for the kind words for him.
 
I just have to say thanks to all of those who serve, and who have served, and to the families who raised them and encouraged them and to those who deal with the loss of such fine men and women every day.

I could never do or say enough to show my extremem gratitude for those who have served and are serving this country. They are the reason I am here, they are the reason that I have the rights I do, and their unwavering courage, strength, and determination should be the envy of many.

On this Memorial Day, I will raise a toast to all in our service and thank God for them. I suggest we all do the same. Oh...and my brother will like this, buy a servicemember a drink while you're at it...
 
Don,

My Dad was with the 2nd Raider Battalion, then made Tarawa, then the 2nd Raiders were broken up and he went to the 7th Marines on Guadalcanal. My memory isn't what it used to be, so I don't remember all that he told me (and, as a kid, perhaps I didn't pay as much attention as I should have to what he said). I know that, after being wounded, he ended up on several other islands, Peleliu among them I believe, but I don't remember which other ones. I don't think he made Okinawa, though. My Dad was a basic grunt. He had enlisted in '39, was a sergeant on Guadalcanal, and was comissioned after that. At the end of the war he stayed in and made a career of it.

When I was in I knew some guys with 1st Tracks (they were at Camp Del Mar where we were). Not an easy job, by any means.
 
A worthy post to be sure. I would like to add a sincere "thank you" to all who served and are serving, and those who can appreciate that our freedom wasn't ever free.
 
Bob,

Anyone that served deserves a tip of the hat. Anyone that served in combat, even more so. Anyone that was on Tarawa, Iwo Jima or Peleliu, it is almost unbelievable what they endured. To be on two out of those three is incredible.

Our Dads are gone, you were in Vietnam, you have a great Memorial Day as well.
 
To all who have served and who are still sreving, here on the BF and thoes who are not, I cannot say this in words enough.THANK YOU!.

On my Dads side, my Dad was in the air force as was my grandpa who went to Viet Nam and retired from the Air Force reserve, I have an uncle who was drafted in to the Army for Viet Nam, both came home safe and are still alive. I have a cousin who is a Marine, as was his Dad.
On my moms side I have my grandpa that served in the Army, and an uncle who was in the Air Force and then the Marine Corps. durring Korea.
I also have a friend who joined the Marines last august and IF I can ever get my paper work straightened out I will be joining the Marines as well.

Again THANK YOU ALL WHO HAVE SERVED!!
 
Don,

You're right; anyone who served deserves a tip of the hat. Even if they didn't serve in combat, they deserve a tip of the hat, too (it takes about ten people in other jobs to support every one in combat). That's not to mention the ones serving in other places in the world.

Yeah, I can't believe what they went through in WW II. Yeah, Vietnam was nasty, but I can't believe it held a candle to WW II. Those guys were there for the duration.

You have a great Memorial Day, too.
 
thwolf said:
To all who have served and who are still sreving, here on the BF and thoes who are not, I cannot say this in words enough.THANK YOU!.

On my Dads side, my Dad was in the air force as was my grandpa who went to Viet Nam and retired from the Air Force reserve, I have an uncle who was drafted in to the Army for Viet Nam, both came home safe and are still alive. I have a cousin who is a Marine, as was his Dad.
On my moms side I have my grandpa that served in the Army, and an uncle who was in the Air Force and then the Marine Corps. durring Korea.
I also have a friend who joined the Marines last august and IF I can ever get my paper work straightened out I will be joining the Marines as well.

Again THANK YOU ALL WHO HAVE SERVED!!
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Semper Fi, thwolf, and thanks.
 
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