Memorial Day Reflection

Well here it is Gentleman and Ladies it is the official weekend Summer kicks off for all to enjoy.
If it was not for our fore Fathers who gave and some who gave all we would not be able to enjoy this annual time with our families and loved one's.
So if you can please take a moment to be thankful for this up coming day to say a prayer for all that committed the ultimate sacrifice and to all that continue to serve and protect us.

God Bless this beautiful country of ours!

(I hope I didn't offend) anyone with these words.

 

Anyone you offended needs to move to China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. We owe so many who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we have.

 

AMEN to that and I absolutely agree with you. For the first time in 12 years, I'm not partaking in my Boy Scouts flag route (165 flags) since my son attained Eagle Scout and left for university. However, I do miss the early morning tradition of placing flags before sunrise on Memorial Day. It was a rewarding experience for both the Scouts and adults involved. It's crucial to remember that our freedoms come at a great cost, and I'm forever grateful, despite not being born in this country. It saddens me to see younger generations becoming disconnected from our history and the rapid erosion of our founding values.

And I think everyone should have an exchange "country" experience / program to China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran so they can appreciate the freedoms and liberties we have here in this great country of ours Particularity the young ones brainwashed in our woke schools and universities.

 

Figured this post is in line with the sentiment of the thread...

"Bud" Anderson was the last surviving Triple Ace of WWII. The month he turned 20 he enlisted and quickly rose through the ranks becoming a Major at 22. He shot down over 16 enemy planes, earning him 16 Air Medals and 5 Flying Crosses. His P-51 Mustangs (2 of them named Old Crow) carried him safely through 116 missions without ever needing to land due to problems. He also commanded a squadron towards the end of the Vietnam War and ran several flight facilities post-Wars.

Chuck Yeager said he was the greatest fighter pilot he'd ever seen (himself an Ace).

Anderson was promoted to the honorary rank of Brigadier General in 2022 (the same year he turned 100). His wife of 70 years passed away in 2015.

Bud Anderson died in his sleep May 17, 2024. He was 102. Read more here.

 

Always good to have a clear understanding.

 

All day, everyday!

 

In true Memorial Day fashion, I'll supplement my other post with this one:



Senior Chief Petty Officer Kyle Milliken (Special Warfare Operator/SEAL).

Kyle Milliken of Falmouth, Maine, died May 5, 2017, during an operation against the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab in a remote area west of Mogadishu, Somalia. He was assigned to a U.S. East Coast-based special warfare unit.

He was a member of SEAL Team Six, the elite unit credited with killing Osama bin Laden, and he earned four Bronze Stars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Milliken was the first U.S. service member to be killed in action in Somalia since the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu that led to the death of 18 service members and wounded 73 others — an event that inspired the book and film, "Black Hawk Down."

Milliken enlisted in 2002, and fought in multiple theaters including Iraq and Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star with valor during combat among his many awards.

He was 38.



More here

 

I wanted to add this.
I also wanted to say I TOTALLY agree 100% with @ BakerShack wrote earlier.

Thank you to all of those Men and Women who served, who paid the Ultimate Price.


Thank you to all of those Men and Women who are serving now.


Thank You to all of the Veterans from all of the wars we have been involved in.


Thank you to all of the families of those serving now and who served in the past.



If it were not for those in the armed forces, we as a country would not be like we are now.

 

Miss my buddy, James, a lot.
Couple of the many memories that popped in my head this morning:

When he busted through my college apartment door at like 6am “Hey! I need a trailer hitch..”

I guess his dad dropped off an aluminum boat for him to go fishing in but James realized when it was time to leave that he didn’t have a ball hitch.

or staying up all night partying in camo/blaze orange to go to the hunters breakfast for the start of hunting season only to fall asleep at the table.

If any of you want to pay respect he loved listening to young jeezy and crushing light beer. Or you could do his workout too. Your arms will want to fall off afterward
https://youtu.be/wUjfWwqFcFI?si=RJdZZ3zNWw3ASwjR

https://wodwell.com/wod/zimmerman/

https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/marine-1st-lt-james-r-zimmerman/4998472

 

Giving a salute to the TÜNDRA CRÜE members on here who had family members who gave the ultimate sacrifice

 

Condolences, bud.

I have a buddy I met while he was in school. He was the life of the party, intelligent, came from good stock, ended up getting out of OCS and headed to Iraq. Married a great girl who was also enlisted and they were the perfect couple. I remember when he came back on stateside leave - he had completely changed. Didn't know him anymore - marriage went to sh*t and became an alcoholic. We lost him over there. He may not have died in body but his soul left him.

 

Sorry to hear, and I have no doubt about your friend. James was very similar to the description of your buddy. His father mentioned at his funeral that James called him just a few days prior saying that he’d had enough and just wanted to come home. I can’t possibly imagine him saying “I’ve had enough” or backing down from any challenge. But I also have zero clue about what any service member has had to deal with. I can watch as many documentaries as I want, but at the end of the day I’ve never had a bullet whiz past my face.

 

Most of em will never say "I'm done" but they feel it.

 

I only did 2 years of service behind the iron curtain (the opposite side), not combat but field service there was as bad as combat. 2 years was enough for me to punch out my defector card with help from our Langley friends. After coming to US I never looked back and embraced the civilian life and beautiful freedoms we have here. So to me the man and and women in uniform in this country are absolutely sacred. They help people all over the world in the most unimaginable ways and I am forever and personally grateful for that.

 

AMEN

 

Gave me chills. May he rest in peace.

 

To the fallen who bestowed greatness upon us. Their lives were given in the name of democracy.

To the lost POW's who gave their lives for these same freedoms. May we never forget their sacrifice.

To those who survived to only carry the burdens of war and the atrocities that will never be washed away from their memories. May we continue to support them and help them cope with the goal of healing from their mental suffering.

Today is a day to reflect upon these ultimate sacrifices. Today is a day to remember and honor them. If you personally know someone still with us but emotionally struggling with their burdens, remember that it's not our time to talk but to listen to them. Be there to support them and thank only these members of our armed services today. Healing begins with but one olive branch extended to the wounded.

 

Spent part of the morning at the Veterans Cemetery with dad. Had to beat the rush and get out before the Governor came

Dad made it through his 4 deployments, but lost the battle to Parkinson’s

 

I have lost 5 and I gave up the booze 04/12/22 to get my soul back,no more drinking and over thinking.

 

What a great day to spend it with him.

 

So proud of you for this. The mind is as strong as you want it to be. There are no obstacles when you find ways to improvise, adapt and overcome them.

 

Dad

 

Folks like you are a national treasure. You've lived through true oppression and know what an unlimited government does to it's people. Your experience and perspective is desperately needed to ensure America stops sliding down the current path of oppression and corruption.

 

Thank you, Sir. I strive to spread both the message and the wisdom, both personally and politically. Having traveled and lived across the globe, one thing remains clear: halting our aggressive descent requires a shock event, most likely of a violent nature. It is coming. This may demand sacrifices to uphold our internal freedoms, values system and global standing. Fortunately, our founders gifted us a remarkable constitution, including the pivotal first and second amendments. America's endurance, intelligence and resilience instill in me unwavering faith, hope and desire. Despite potential tumult, America will find its way and I am committed to that cause. Many of us are quietly committed, I know it and feel it. So yes there will be another chapter, one of a greater America. Here's to the hope that Henry Kissinger, if he were still with us, would write a sequel to 'World Order.' It would surely be a fascinating read.