This Weekend, Remember Them ...

Source

Four days off.

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?

Captain Carroll F. LeFon, Jr.
United States Navy 

Lance Corporal Kurt E. Dechen
United States Marine Corps

Major Taj Sareen
United States Marine Corps

Lieutenant Nathan T. Poloski
United States Navy

Private Robert G. Bain
Royal Scots Fusiliers 

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.

To the Memory of the Fallen ...

8th August, 1918
Will Longstaff

The long dusty column marches off into the distance. The soldiers look neither left nor right, only straight ahead, to some unknown, unknowable future.

They are the dead, they fought and they died. Does anyone remember why? Do they remember?

Will they be remembered at some dim point in the future? Long after their sacrifice, when even the history books have faded into memory, will anyone remember them?

I will ...

It is Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember, to honor those who died for us. Let it not have been in vain. What matters politics once the Last Post has sounded? Once the trumpet falls silent, once the last note of Taps fades into the stillness, it matters more that these brave men and women are remembered.

Always ...

(Source)

Yes, this is a rerun, a post I have done for a few years and will probably use again. But it expresses how I feel about Memorial Day, I remember those who have gone before, I cherish their memories.

(Source)

They were people, just like you and me.

They had hopes, they had dreams, they had people who loved them.

One day they went out to do their duty ...

And never came home.

Remember them, say their names ...

I remember these fine men, always, but particularly at this time of year.

I knew some, I miss them all.

Captain Carroll F. LeFon, Jr.
United States Navy

Lance Corporal Kurt E. Dechen
United States Marine Corps

Major Taj Sareen
United States Marine Corps

Lieutenant Nathan T. Poloski
United States Navy

Private Robert Bain
Royal Scots Fusiliers
(Source)

Private First Class Albert J. Dentino,
United States Army
Photo courtesy of Kris in New England

SP5 Wayne S. Bates, "Doc"
United States Army

LCpl Gary Arthur Holsclaw
United States Marine Corps

SSG Brian T. Craig
United States Army

Captain James Albert Graham
United States Marine Corps
Medal of Honor

When You Go Home,

Tell Them Of Us And Say, 

For Their Tomorrow, 

We gave Our Today

- John Maxwell Edmonds 

Enjoy the day, but take a moment to remember ...

John Blackshoe sends: Memorial Day - It’s not about BBQs, a day off, store sales or even all veterans.

Decoration Day
Carl Hirschberg
(Source)

After the huge losses in the Civil War, (albeit more from disease than combat) citizens sought ways to honor the dead soldiers. In May of 1865 freedmen in Charleston, SC, decorated the graves of Union prisoners who had been buried in that city. In 1866 citizens and veterans gathered in Waterloo, New York, to honor their fallen with flowers, speeches and picnics. In 1868 the Grand Army of the Republic issued a call for an annual national commemoration on May 30th, and the name Decoration Day or Memorial Day was pretty much interchangeable from then on. In Southern states, more restrained honors and commemorations took place honoring the Americans who died fighting for the South. By the 1880s, secessionist animosities began to heal, and by 1900 joint Union and Confederate ceremonies were common. As time went on, dead from other wars, ranging from Custer’s defeat, the Spanish American War, WW1 and WW2, and our other forays into world trouble spots were included as honorees.

In 1968 a pandering Congress connived to move a bunch of holidays to Mondays instead of specific days, and Memorial Day became the last Monday every May. We began to see holidays used as excuses for sales, and actual reasons for individual holidays faded, especially with the distaste for the Vietnam War. In recent years, military appreciation has returned somewhat, and it is nice to have people think good things about veterans again, especially on 11 November Veterans Day (grown from the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month “Armistice Day” ending WW1). By all means, let all of us vets and supporters celebrate all who served, and hoist a beer in toast of all comrades, living and dead, but on Veterans Day, not Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is sacred to the honor of those who died in service to our country, not merely served.

Many people know many veterans, included a few who perished in service. Sadly, a growing number of Americans to not know any veterans, or worse, actively dislike veterans. 

This Memorial Day, spend a few minutes thinking of some you know who died in service, in peace or war, combat or training. They all served and paid the ultimate price. Here are a few I will remember:

William Allen Rees, 1943-1968. 1LT USA, died in Vietnam 5 May 1968 near Quang Tri when his AH-1G Cobra helicopter 67-15500 was shot down by ground fire, less than 3 months after he arrived in country. We were high school sports teammates.

(Source)

Yup, it does feel like this.
(Source)

Sixteen Navy officers and enlisted who died in the 6 October 1978 crash of U.S. Navy R6D-1 BUNO 13618 [C-118 aka C-54/DC6] transport plane which impacted a hill south of Santiago de Chile in bad weather, killing all aboard. The aircraft and crew from Detroit based Naval Reserve Transport Squadron VR-52 were supporting Operation UNITAS XIX, a joint training exercise by the navies of the United States, Peru, Chile and other South American countries. My ship’s postal clerk was one of the 16 dead.

(Source)

Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon Mary Kent, USN (1985-2019)

This woman’s awesome accomplishments exceed the combined actions of a multiple superlative individuals. She overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles and challenges and truly made a difference in the field with Special Warfare operators. She was killed by a suicide bomber attack in Manbij, Syria on 19 January 2019.

CTICS Kent and her grave at Arlington National Cemetery
(Source)

She survived thyroid cancer, earned Bachelors and Masters degrees while having two children and working full time with special warfare support units and the National Security Administration. She was fluent in Arabic and at least three other foreign languages. She earned the greatest respect from those she worked with as a truly overachiever “bad ass” in the most competitive and dangerous military environments. She volunteered for four deployments with Spec War types doing highly classified, dangerous, and effective missions.

Her husband (now widower), Joseph Kent is a (now) retired U.S. Army Special Forces Warrant Officer raising their two children in rural Washington state. He very narrowly lost an election for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District in 2022 and is running again this year. I chose to show my humble respect for his heroic wife by contributing to his campaign.

A biography on CTICS Kent was recently released, but I have not gotten a copy yet. “Send Me” available from Amazon) Meanwhile, I urge you to take a few minutes to read some background on her at these three links.

The Legend of Chief Shannon Kent

(The author of this piece teamed with her widower to write biography “Send Me” available from Amazon.)

New York Times Magazine account of her memorial service.

UK Daily Mail account of her service with more photos.

Thank you, God, for those who have defended our country, and paid the ultimate price.

To the Memory of the Fallen ...

8th August, 1918
Will Longstaff

The long dusty column marches off into the distance. The soldiers look neither left nor right, only straight ahead, to some unknown, unknowable future.

They are the dead, they fought and they died. Does anyone remember why? Do they remember?

Will they be remembered at some dim point in the future? Long after their sacrifice, when even the history books have faded into memory, will anyone remember them?

I will ...

It is Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember, to honor those who died for us. Let it not have been in vain. What matters politics once the Last Post has sounded? Once the trumpet falls silent, once the last note of Taps fades into the stillness, it matters more that these brave men and women are remembered.

Always ...

(Source)

Yes, this is a rerun, a post I have done for a few years and will probably use again. But it expresses how I feel about Memorial Day, I remember those who have gone before, I cherish their memories.

(Source)

They were people, just like you and me.

They had hopes, they had dreams, they had people who loved them.

One day they went out to do their duty ...

And never came home.

Remember them, say their names ...

I remember these fine men, always, but particularly at this time of year.

I knew some, I miss them all.

Captain Carroll F. LeFon, Jr.
United States Navy

Lance Corporal Kurt E. Dechen
United States Marine Corps

Major Taj Sareen
United States Marine Corps

Lieutenant Nathan T. Poloski
United States Navy

Private Robert Bain
Royal Scots Fusiliers
(Source)

Private First Class Albert J. Dentino,
United States Army
Photo courtesy of Kris in New England

SP5 Wayne S. Bates, "Doc"
United States Army

LCpl Gary Arthur Holsclaw
United States Marine Corps

SSG Brian T. Craig
United States Army

Captain James Albert Graham
United States Marine Corps
Medal of Honor

When You Go Home,

Tell Them Of Us And Say, 

For Their Tomorrow, 

We gave Our Today

- John Maxwell Edmonds 

Enjoy the day, but take a moment to remember ...

This Weekend, Remember Them ...

Source

Four days off.

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?

Captain Carroll F. LeFon, Jr.
United States Navy 

Lance Corporal Kurt E. Dechen
United States Marine Corps

Major Taj Sareen
United States Marine Corps

Lieutenant Nathan T. Poloski
United States Navy

Private Robert G. Bain
Royal Scots Fusiliers 

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.