As many of you know this coming Monday, 27MAY2013, is Memorial Day in the US. I was inspired by another thread to start this one (Thanks Roo & Marty). Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember and thank those that were lost in defense of their country. Given the forum's international base, I would like to to extend this beyond the borders of the US and invite everyone to post any stories of personal heroes, family or friends you would like to honor. Although, this "holiday" was originally intended to honor fallen veterans, I am taking the liberty (no pun intended) to also honor all of those that served.

I'll start this off by sharing "in Flanders Fields" (stealing from my other post).

Y'all may have seen red poppoes being sold in the states around this time of year (Memorial Day) and Veteran's Day by these The Veterans of Foreign Wars and The American Legion. What you may not know is that wounded and disabled veterans make these by hand and they are sold to honor and support our wounded and fallen heroes. The origin of the poppy and its symbolism dates back to WWI. A Canadian Officer wrote a very well know poem, In Flanders Fileds. His name was Lt Col. John McCrae. He was a also doctor and served in WWI and in Africa prior to that. The horrors of war and fallen comrades he witnessed inspired the poem. The poem's reference to poppies inspires their use today. I've pasted the poem below as well as an image of the original handwritten work.

To all my fellow veterans, those serving today and especially those that gave all... SALUTE!

Thank you PH!

Wish I could share some stories, but they were too painful for my Grandparent's. I will share the two brief stories that I have. My Father's Grandparents were occupied by the Germans during WWII and my Father grew up during the re-building of it. The only thing that was shared was the shortage of food, the basics and having to do a lot with little.

On my Mother's side they were re-located to Argentina before the war and ended up having to leave during the Civil strife there. The only story she shared was when she was in school they fell under attack and their were bullets flying past her head. She said people would disappear all the time never to be seen again.

I can not think of anything more selfless than those that serve their country to protect their own country and others. The sacrifice personally and the sacrifice of their own families having them not be around.

So my HeartFull thanks/gratitude to all those that have served and those that have perished to protect their way of life!

I'll share a brief history of Claude Samuel Workman, my maternal grandfather. He was born at the closing of WWI (1918). At the onset of WWII he enlisted in the US Marines. He quickly opted for service in the Marine Paratroopers (Paramarines). Volunteers had to be single men. Due to a significant pay raise upon completing the training, volunteers were overwhelming. However, it was rigorous training program with a 40% attrition rate.

I'll take a little aside here. I once had the honor of meeting my grandfather's senior jump instructor, a man with whom he maintained a lifetime friendship. He shared the story of my grandfather's very first training jump. Although the marines were dropped from airplanes during combat, training was done from hot air balloons. One side of the foursided basket was hinged at the floor of the basket and once the appropriate altitude was reached the side was dropped and the Marines jumped from the basket. Well in his first jump my grandfather (PaPaw)was apparently a bit nervous. According to his instructor Sam stood in the basket with his knees knocking when the side dropped. He shuffled forward as ordered. The instructor ran through the process. 1) step to the edge 2) Fall (don't jump) head first out of the basket 3) wait for your feet to point at the ground again and pull the D-Ring. 4) land with your knees bent. Apparently PaPaw confused the steps. He stepped forward and pulled the D-ring. Hit chute fell out of the pack and hit the basket floor. The quick thinking instructor reached down and grabbed his knees with one arm while pushing on his back with other. This flipped PapPaw out of the basket before the wind could catch and tangle his misdeployed chute, dragging my grandfather to his death. He floated safely (successfully) to the ground.

I tell this story for the humor, but Sam soon proved himself more than capable. For every 10 (I think) combat jumps made the Corp awarded Marines with a special pin. I remember PaPaw telling me this and showing my a cigar box stuffed so full of these pins that the lid wouldn't close. At one time, he held the Marine Corps' record for the most combat jumps in WWII.

Sam didn't stop his service in WWII. He stayed in the Marine Corp for 30 years and served not only in WWII, but also The Korean War and Vietnam. He was true patriot and my HERO. My son shares his name today.

Thanks PH, great topic. Thought I'd share this song by Mark Knopfler called remembrance day as it is fitting.

Watch "Memorial Day" movie from 2011 with James Cromwell. It's on Netflix . It has some pretty heart wrenching moments between a WW II "Granpa" and his Gulf War Grandson.

I would just like to say for all of us to realize that the hardest ones to remember are the ones that cannot be identified. They can never be sent home for their family to honor, and they are put in a grave without a name. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in DC honors these men who have paid the highest sacrifice and have left their family grieving without closure. If you are ever in DC, please honor these men. The tomb has a unknown soldier from every war since WW1, and is patrolled by gaurd 24/7 365, and they guards have never abandoned their post through hurricanes, earthquakes, and blizzards.

Army Staff Sergeant Leroy Petry received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan in 2008. While under enemy fire and wounded in both his legs, Petry continued to move to protect his fellow Rangers - eventually picking up a grenade which detonated shortly after he released it away from the group, amputating his hand.



I seen this and was amazed at his heroic efforts to save his men.
Hope yall like it

As some of you know, I am a real American soldier. My name on here is real, I am Sgt. Brecheen United States Army. What y'all don't know is that I am a member of the Honor Guard. I time honored corps that attends military funerals. We fold the flag, play the bugle, and present the flag to the next of kin. We are literally losing hundreds of veterans A DAY, take time out of your day to shake a veterans hand and say thank you. I want to leave you with the speach that I say to family members at a funeral.


"Sir/Ma'am, on behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Army, and a grateful Nation. Please, accept this flag as a symbol of OUR appreciation for your loved one's HONORABLE and FAITHFUL service."