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Will we barbecue? Probably.
Will we perhaps have an adult beverage? Probably.
Will we remember the fallen?
Absolutely.
Many view this weekend as the start of summer. Pools will be opened. Folks will go to the beach. People are going to enjoy themselves. It's what people do.
Should folks take a moment this weekend to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom? Yes, they should. Will everyone? Probably not.
In church on Sunday I will, as I do every Memorial Day Sunday, recite the names of those killed in the line of duty whom I wish to keep alive in my heart, in my memory.
For if they are remembered, are they truly gone?
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| Captain Carroll F. LeFon, Jr. United States Navy |
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| Lance Corporal Kurt E. Dechen United States Marine Corps |
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| Major Taj Sareen United States Marine Corps |
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| Lieutenant Nathan T. Poloski United States Navy |
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| Private Robert G. Bain Royal Scots Fusiliers |
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| Private First Class Albert J. Dentino United States Army Photo courtesy of Kris in New England |
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not 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.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon
At some point during this weekend, take a moment, remember those who died defending this great nation of ours.
I will.
Aye Sarge remember those that did not come home from serving. Growing up the street we lived on had the small flags planted next to the pavement early on Memorial Day morning, the majority of lawns up and down the street had those flags, now my lawn is the only one so adorned........:(
ReplyDeletePeople don't seem to put their flags out on holidays anymore. Sad, innit?
DeleteI keep Bob Schneider, AKA Rocket, in my thoughts and prayers. I was his Fight Commander. He was involved in a midair with an FA-18. The Hornet had some small damage to his horizontal stabilizer when it went through Rockets canopy. I doubt Rocket even knew what happened. A good man, Officer and Friend. Rest in Peace. We’ll meet up again soon enough.
ReplyDeletejuvat
I remember Rocket.
DeleteI had a slight memory failure. It wasn't an FA-18. It was an Eagle from another flight. Both flights converged on the FA-18s and didn't see the other Eagle Flight and one of the other flight hit Rocket's cockpit. We believe it killed him instantly as his jet slowly spiraled down to the ocean and crashed.
Deletejuvat
I had to go back and look at your old post. What a bad day.
DeleteGary Holsclaw, 13 February 1948 - 02 July 1967 USMC
ReplyDeleteThanks as always, Sarge.
I will remember him.
DeleteAt the Fern Township cemetery in Hubbard County Minnesota they had (I left in 2004) a Memorial Day ceremony where they read the names of all the veterans buried there out loud. It was nice to think they were remembered and mentioned.
ReplyDeleteIf they are not remembered, it's almost as if they never were.
DeleteAmen. A time we should all remember the fallen, and honor them, and learn from their losses.
ReplyDeleteA line from the poem jumped out for me:
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old"
This was the inspiration for the title of Kiwi Sir Peter Jackson's magnificent tribute to WW1 soldiers, "They Shall Not Grow Old," relased eight years ago. This is a film which could only be made by one of the greatest film makers of our time, someone deservedly rich from using those cinematic skills, and simultaneously passionate about WW1 history and honoring its veterans. It is 99 minutes of sobering, enlightening, and sometimes amusing insights into those men and their experiences. It is available from multiple streaming sources for about $5, the best thing you can buy this weekend.
If not ready to watch the full movie, at least take a few minutes and enjoy some freebie reminders of Jackson's passion for WW1 history in a post I did here on the Chant a while back:
https://oldafsarge.blogspot.com/2025/01/john-blackshoe-sends-serendipity_0478212536.html
John Blackshoe
https://oldafsarge.blogspot.com/2025/01/john-blackshoe-sends-serendipity_0478212536.html
That was an excellent post. And Sir Peter is a superb filmmaker.
DeleteThe only death in service in my family (that I know of) is USMC Lt. Gordon Cone. Death by radiator (tipped back in chair, chair slipped, Gordon whacked the back of his head.)
ReplyDeleteThe only person I know who died in service is 1st Sgt. Paul Smith, US Army, MOH. He stayed in a vehicle firing a M2 machine gun to protect his men, Iraq, April 3, 2003.
The haunted Arizona Memorial and other places in Pearl Harbor and haunted island of Kwajalein are places where I've walked hallowed ground.