toldailytopic: Memorial Day, what does it mean to you?

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for May 31st, 2010 10:44 AM

toldailytopic: Memorial Day, what does it mean to you?

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[MaryContrary]

I see Memorial Day as a conscious decision to deny failure to those that die in battle for our country. I approve of this and celebrate Memorial Day for that reason. There's wisdom in that.

I'd be a lot happier though if we likewise celebrated our heroes, who triumph in battle and achieve glory or victory in the pursuit of their military duties. Failing to do this seems to me to distract somewhat from our celebration of those that fall in battle. To make note only of death in war and deny triumph is to dishonor both those that fall and those that fight.

I celebrate those who's lives were taken in our defense. I won't say "gave their lives" because I do not want to support the idea that our soldiers defend us by dying. Our soldiers bring death to our enemies and even those that fall do not fail.

So I celebrate Memorial Day by holding even our fallen up before the world as our champions. If even our fallen do not fail, then our army cannot fail. And if our army cannot fail, then we triumph before they even take the field.

I pray that God bless not only those that have fallen and the families of those that have fallen, but those who fight and their families as well. They are all our soldiers and our champions.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

I see Memorial Day as a conscious decision to deny failure to those that die in battle for our country. I approve of this and celebrate Memorial Day for that reason. There's wisdom in that.

I'd be a lot happier though if we likewise celebrated our heroes, who triumph in battle and achieve glory or victory in the pursuit of their military duties. Failing to do this seems to me to distract somewhat from our celebration of those that fall in battle. To make note only of death in war and deny triumph is to dishonor both those that fall and those that fight.

I celebrate those who's lives were taken in our defense. I won't say "gave their lives" because I do not want to support the idea that our soldiers defend us by dying. Our soldiers bring death to our enemies and even those that fall do not fail.

So I celebrate Memorial Day by holding even our fallen up before the world as our champions. If even our fallen do not fail, then our army cannot fail. And if our army cannot fail, then we triumph before they even take the field.

I pray that God bless not only those that have fallen and the families of those that have fallen, but those who fight and their families as well. They are all our soldiers and our champions.

POTD :first:

 

[Lucky]

No one close to me has ever died fighting for this nation, so, I can't say it means that much to me personally.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

No one close to me has ever died fighting for this nation, so, I can't say it means that much to me personally.

Do you have to be close to someone to appreciate their sacrifice for you?

 

[Nick M]

No one close to me has ever died fighting for this nation, so, I can't say it means that much to me personally.

Does Jesus dieing for you mean anything personally? I think you meant it in a different way, but I am not sure.

And since the current CIC isn't honoring the fallen today, we will do it with out him.

Tomb of the unknowns

 

[Lucky]

Does Jesus dieing for you mean anything personally?

Of course! I've read the books written about him. I call him my lord and savior. He is definitely someone close to me. I remember his sacrifice daily.

 

[Ktoyou]

I observe Confederate Memorial Day, April 26, in honour of my maternal family and this Memorial day in honour of my father.

I respect those who serve my country, but not the wars since WWII, as in the main, they are motivated by wealthy industry and unnecessary to the safety of this nation. I do honour the brave who fight, yet dislike the covert motives behind these wars.

 

[ebredding]

God bless our troops this and every day.

 

[Psalmist]

I see Memorial Day as a conscious decision to deny failure to those that die in battle for our country. I approve of this and celebrate Memorial Day for that reason. There's wisdom in that.

I'd be a lot happier though if we likewise celebrated our heroes, who triumph in battle and achieve glory or victory in the pursuit of their military duties. Failing to do this seems to me to distract somewhat from our celebration of those that fall in battle. To make note only of death in war and deny triumph is to dishonor both those that fall and those that fight.

I celebrate those who's lives were taken in our defense. I won't say "gave their lives" because I do not want to support the idea that our soldiers defend us by dying. Our soldiers bring death to our enemies and even those that fall do not fail.

So I celebrate Memorial Day by holding even our fallen up before the world as our champions. If even our fallen do not fail, then our army cannot fail. And if our army cannot fail, then we triumph before they even take the field.

I pray that God bless not only those that have fallen and the families of those that have fallen, but those who fight and their families as well. They are all our soldiers and our champions.

POTD :first:

I agree. :first:

Toldailytopic: Memorial Day, what does it mean to you?

I causes me to remember before I was in the Navy . . .

• Those who died in service, whether war time or peace time, because while serving they gave their all.

• Those I served with while was in the service, Navy and all branches.

• Those who have died after I was out of the Navy, Navy and all branches.

It also cause me to think of all those of the household of faith who died in the Lord's service, whether those who attend or those who are shepherds, leaving us an example that we should remain faithful.​

I thank God for keeping America free.
​

 

[The Berean]

Memorial Day took new meaning for me when I visited the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial on my honeymoon in 2005. Until I visited the memorial I wasn't aware of that the Arizona was in such shallow water. I could see the outline of the ship from where I was standing. As I stood there I was thinking that over one thousand men are entombed less than 15 feet below where I stand. Within the Memorial there is a wall that lists all the men who died on the Arizona. And then I saw the list of men who served on the Arizona, survived, and then where buried with their comrades many years later. The most recent was a sailor who died in 2004 if memory serves. It was quite a moving experience for me and wife.

 

[unknown]

I observe Confederate Memorial Day, April 26, in honour of my maternal family and this Memorial day in honour of my father.

I respect those who serve my country, but not the wars since WWII, as in the main, they are motivated by wealthy industry and unnecessary to the safety of this nation. I do honour the brave who fight, yet dislike the covert motives behind these wars.

I am a Viet-Nam veteran (19 months in-country). 3 of my friends from high school were killed in Viet-Nam before I was drafted (Aug, 20, 1969). Two more were crippled for life. I lost 12 good friends while I was there . 6 of those were guys I went through helicopter repair school with, they were all killed in the same bunker with one mortar round within 30 days of arriving in-country. We were all 20 years old at the time.

Immediately upon my return to the states, I was made to feel ashamed of my participation in that "conflict". I had 30 days before I left to think Canada or Viet-Nam?, Canada or Viet-Nam?, everyday, over and over up until the day I left to ride that plane to Viet-Nam.

Looking back, I wish I had gone to Canada. You are right about the money that drives war. I now see Memorial Day and Independence Day as just events to promote patriotism (it's just a form of brain washing). Memorial Day and threads like this just bring up my bitterness towards a corrupt government and remind me of the waste of good lives.

I know my motives for going (idealism) and that also seems to have been the attitude of my fellow soldiers but we were wrong. It wasn't about human rights, or freedom vs communism or any of the other BS excuses. It was about profit and economic growth.

 

[Ktoyou]

I am a Viet-Nam veteran (19 months in-country). 3 of my friends from high school were killed in Viet-Nam before I was drafted (Aug, 20, 1969). Two more were crippled for life. I lost 12 good friends while I was there . 6 of those were guys I went through helicopter repair school with, they were all killed in the same bunker with one mortar round within 30 days of arriving in-country. We were all 20 years old at the time.

Immediately upon my return to the states, I was made to feel ashamed of my participation in that "conflict". I had 30 days before I left to think Canada or Viet-Nam?, Canada or Viet-Nam?, everyday, over and over up until the day I left to ride that plane to Viet-Nam.

Looking back, I wish I had gone to Canada. You are right about the money that drives war. I now see Memorial Day and Independence Day as just events to promote patriotism (it's just a form of brain washing). Memorial Day and threads like this just bring up my bitterness towards a corrupt government and remind me of the waste of good lives.

I know my motives for going (idealism) and that also seems to have been the attitude of my fellow soldiers but we were wrong. It wasn't about human rights, or freedom vs communism or any of the other BS excuses. It was about profit and economic growth.

Back in that time I was very pro-war and hostile to the protesters. I too thought communism was a big threat, yet just under the surface, I knew more than I admitted to myself. People change with age, at least I think we should change. Now I see the wrong in things. McNamara has also changed and now thinks Viet Nam was a mistake, as they would never stop fighting, not because of communism, but they believed they had to defend their nation at all costs. No wonder LBJ was confused! He wanted to have them on our side and help them, but they wanted to nothing to do with what we could offer.

With Iraq, it seemed a mistake to me from the beginning and another big waste. This however, does not mean I do not respect the individual soldier for putting his life on the line to serve his country.

 

[unknown]

No wonder LBJ was confused!

LBJ wasn't confused, the Johnsons made a ton of money in Viet_Nam due to the fact that Lady Bird was the owner of Air America. American taxpayers paid for that, and the proceeds ended up in LBJs bank account.

 

[Town Heretic]

"They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save."

Francis Marion Crawford

 

[Ktoyou]

"They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save."

Francis Marion Crawford

A late American romantic writer in Italy?

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

I am a Viet-Nam veteran (19 months in-country). 3 of my friends from high school were killed in Viet-Nam before I was drafted (Aug, 20, 1969). Two more were crippled for life. I lost 12 good friends while I was there . 6 of those were guys I went through helicopter repair school with, they were all killed in the same bunker with one mortar round within 30 days of arriving in-country. We were all 20 years old at the time.

Immediately upon my return to the states, I was made to feel ashamed of my participation in that "conflict". I had 30 days before I left to think Canada or Viet-Nam?, Canada or Viet-Nam?, everyday, over and over up until the day I left to ride that plane to Viet-Nam.

Looking back, I wish I had gone to Canada. You are right about the money that drives war. I now see Memorial Day and Independence Day as just events to promote patriotism (it's just a form of brain washing). Memorial Day and threads like this just bring up my bitterness towards a corrupt government and remind me of the waste of good lives.

I know my motives for going (idealism) and that also seems to have been the attitude of my fellow soldiers but we were wrong. It wasn't about human rights, or freedom vs communism or any of the other BS excuses. It was about profit and economic growth.

I once felt the same, especially after my return from Vietnam. I spent quite a bit of my time afterwards protesting the "conflict", including a stint in the Weather Underground. Over time and increasing wisdom, I came to see the real ground of my dismay, that is, the government's stated commitment to the Vietnam campaign was never matched by its actions. The entire time I was "in country" I, and my co-combatants, never felt that the U.S. was sincere about winning the conflict. With all the rules for engagement in place, it was as if we had one hand tied behind us. How I welcomed my team's new salty Sergeants's advice while on long-range patrols deep in the jungle, about six months into my tour: "If it moves shoot it. If it doesn't, shoot it and find out why it is not moving."

The South Korean's had it right while in Vietnam. They apparently did not subscribe to the Geneva Convention, and were feared by the VC and the North Vietnamese Army. Once, a convoy of South Koreans was ambushed along QL19 in the Central Highlands. "Ambush" is a loosely defined term here. Actually, someone fired a single shot at the convoy. So the South Koreans stopped the convoy and placed men along both sides of the parked vehicles. These soldiers then moved forward and burned everything in sight along both sides of the road (QL19) for about a half a mile. No one ever "ambushed" a convoy passing along this scorched earth again.

It was said that the VC or the NVA would allow a South Korean "Rock" patrol to pass through a waiting ambush, but the same ambushers lying in wait would open fire upon U.S. soldiers. The South Koreans took no prisoners, you see.

Now I know what I have written may shock and dismay some. I never entertained fleeing to Canada and did not regret my time served in Vietnam. What I regret and continue to fear, is that our country no longer has the stomach to enter into a conflict, war, etc., with winning it as a genuine objective. Queensbury's rules have no place in war, and until you have seen war up close and personal, speculating on how wars should be fought is but useless fodder for the cocktail crowd.

AMR

 

[Ktoyou]

I thought it was terrible the way so many treated the solders.

 

[unknown]

I once felt the same, especially after my return from Vietnam. I spent quite a bit of my time afterwards protesting the "conflict", including a stint in the Weather Underground. Over time and increasing wisdom, I came to see the real ground of my dismay, that is, the government's stated commitment to the Vietnam campaign was never matched by its actions. The entire time I was "in country" I, and my co-combatants, never felt that the U.S. was sincere about winning the conflict. With all the rules for engagement in place, it was as if we had one hand tied behind us. How I welcomed my team's new salty Sergeants's advice while on long-range patrols deep in the jungle, about six months into my tour: "If it moves shoot it. If it doesn't, shoot it and find out why it is not moving."

The South Korean's had it right while in Vietnam. They apparently did not subscribe to the Geneva Convention, and were feared by the VC and the North Vietnamese Army. Once, a convoy of South Koreans was ambushed along QL19 in the Central Highlands. "Ambush" is a loosely defined term here. Actually, someone fired a single shot at the convoy. So the South Koreans stopped the convoy and placed men along both sides of the parked vehicles. These soldiers then moved forward and burned everything in sight along both sides of the road (QL19) for about a half a mile. No one ever "ambushed" a convoy passing along this scorched earth again.

It was said that the VC or the NVA would allow a South Korean "Rock" patrol to pass through a waiting ambush, but the same ambushers lying in wait would open fire upon U.S. soldiers. The South Koreans took no prisoners, you see.

Now I know what I have written may shock and dismay some. I never entertained fleeing to Canada and did not regret my time served in Vietnam. What I regret and continue to fear, is that our country no longer has the stomach to enter into a conflict, war, etc., with winning it as a genuine objective. Queensbury's rules have no place in war, and until you have seen war up close and personal, speculating on how wars should be fought is but useless fodder for the cocktail crowd.

AMR

You are correct, we were not there to win anything except riches for a few or political influence. If we had been allowed to do our job it could have ended sooner with less loss. I'm glad I didn't know all of this back then, I would have just shot myself or at least went home when my 1st year was up.

Glad you made it back. May God bless you.

 

[Frank Ernest]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for May 31st, 2010 10:44 AM

toldailytopic: Memorial Day, what does it mean to you?

It is a day of Remembrance and Honor to deceased friends, relatives and ancestors who have served our country. We remember also all those who have given their lives in our defense.