newsletter (including the snail-mail version) will be devoted to our Veterans, living and dead, those to whom we owe our very liberty.
"Thank you" will never be enough.Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.
(The color photos of the headstones were taken May 15, 2009, at Ridgeville Cemetary. All veterans’ name were obscured in the photos, in deference to family members. The black-and-white photos are taken from the History.com web site, along with the text. We encourage you to visit the web site and see more photos and learn more about our Veterans. )
"Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that:
"The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit."During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than
20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.This 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances of the day in several towns throughout America that had taken place in the three years since the Civil War. In fact, several Northern and Southern cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus, Miss.; Macon, Ga.; Richmond, Va.; Boalsburg, Pa.; and Carbondale, Ill.
In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon Johnson, declared Waterloo, N.Y., the official birthplace of Memorial Day.
They chose Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—because the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)
Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.
Several Southern states continue to set aside a special day for honoring the Confederate dead, which is usually called Confederate Memorial Day.The poppies referred to in the poem ["In Flanders Field" ] grew in profusion in Flanders, Belgium where war casualties had been buried and thus became a symbol of Remembrance Day.The poem is part of Remembrance Day solemnities in Allied countries which contributed troops to World War I, particularly in countries of the British Empire that did so.The poem "In Flanders Fields" was written after John McCrae witnessed the death, and presided over the funeral, of a friend, Lieut. Alexis Helmer.
By most accounts it was written in his notebook and later rejected by McCrae. Ripped out of his notebook, it was rescued by a fellow officer and later published in Punch magazine.“
"In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead; Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields."
Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 – 1918)
From History.com:
Since America united as one nation, this great country surrendered its bravest to liberate the oppressed and ensure freedom for its citizens and future generations. Battle lines were drawn and blood was spilled on U.S. soil and foreign lands. These were the sacrifices made in America's wars.
The 18th Century
American Revolution
Dates: 1775 - 1783
Where: Eastern seaboard of North America
How It Ended: The Treaty of Paris was signed on Sept. 3, 1783
American Battle Deaths: 4,435 (approx.)
The 19th Century
War of 1812
Dates: 1812 - 1815
Where: Canada, Eastern seaboard of the United States, Great Lakes and Lake Champlain
How It Ended: The Treaty of Ghent was signed on Dec. 24, 1814. Unaware of the treaty, Gen. Andrew Jackson engaged and crushed the British at New Orleans on January 8, 1815.
American Battle Deaths: 2,260 (approx.)
Mexican War
Dates: 1846 - 1848
Where: Mexico and southwestern United States, including modern-day Texas, California and New Mexico
How It Ended: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on Feb. 2, 1848.
American Battle Deaths: 1,733 (approx.)
Civil War
Dates: 1861 - 1865
Where: Primarily in the Eastern half of the United States (east of the Mississippi River)
How It Ended: Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the small settlement of Appomattox Court House in southwestern Virginia on April 9, 1865.
American Battle Deaths: Union forces 140,414 and Confederate forces 74,524 (approx.)
Spanish-American War
Dates: April 25 - Aug. 12, 1898
Where: Mainly in the Spanish possessions of Cuba and the Philippines
How It Ended: The Treaty of Paris was signed on Dec. 10, 1898.
American Battle Deaths: 385 (approx.)
The 20th Century
World War I
Dates: 1914 - 1918
Where: The Atlantic Ocean and Europe
How It Ended: Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919.
American Battle Deaths: 53,402 (approx.)
World War II
Dates: 1939 - 1945
Where: Europe, North Africa, Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands including Hawaii, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
How It Ended: Japan was the last Axis power to surrender on August 14, 1945, after the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
American Battle Deaths: 291,557 (approx.)
Korean War
Dates: 1950 - 1953
Where: North and South Korea
How It Ended: The war reached a stalemate in June 1951. An armistice was finally reached on July 27, 1953.
American Battle Deaths: 33,741 (approx.)
Vietnam War
Dates: 1954 - 1975
Where: Southeast Asia
How It Ended: The U.S. withdrew after a ceasefire in 1973.
American Battle Deaths: 47,424 (approx.)
Persian Gulf War
Dates: August 1990 - April 1991
Where: Iraq and Kuwait
How It Ended: After a four-day ground war, an American-led coalition declared victory. A cease-fire agreement was signed on April 9, 1991.
American Battle Deaths: 147 (approx.)
The 21st Century
Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan
Dates: Oct. 7, 2001 (War begins with U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom, in Afghanistan, after the terrorist attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Approximately 3,000 civilians and members of the military died as a result of the attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.) - Conflict continues...
Where: An effort to combat terrorism world-wide begins in Afghanistan.
American Deaths in Afghanistan: more than 670 as of April 30, 2009
Iraq War
Dates: March 19, 2003 - Conflict continues...
Where: Iraq
American Deaths: more than 4,250 as of April 30, 2009
Take a Vet to School Day 2009
The HISTORY Take a Veteran to School Day initiative returns in 2009 as a national campaign, linking veterans of all ages with young people in our schools and communities.Show our veterans how much we value their service through a learning-rich, non-partisan experience for students in grades K-12. Find our more, and get involved...
Reminder that our next meeting will on May 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Calvary Ridge Church, across the street from Marcs.
Hope to see you then!
From George Voinovich's monthly newsletter:
The REAL Inconvenient Truth -
Currently, the U.S. Debt is estimated at: $9,849,354,380,955.73
Your share of today's public debt is: $30,891.15
From Denny Johnson:
Memorial Day is May 25th. The club will again have a float in the parade as we have for decades. Grab a chair and find a nice spot along the parade route, beginning at Marcs and ending at the middle school. The parade begins at 9:45. Immediately after the parade a short ceremony is held at the football field behind the middle school. Come out and join your friends and neighbors as we honor the memory of those who gave all so that we could live free.
Here's a well-done video on how one man came to believe...
Roger L. Simon - "How Ahmadinejad made me a believer"
PONDERISMS
· I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.
· There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.
· Life is sexually transmitted.
· Healthy is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
· The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
· Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
· Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
· Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
· All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
· How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
· Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things and drink whatever comes out?'
· If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
· If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
· Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
· Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
We thought you would want to know about this e-mail virus. Even the most advanced programs from Norton or McAfee cannot take care of this one. Oddly enough, it appears to affect those who were born prior to 1965.
Symptoms:
2. Causes you to send a blank e-mail! ... that too!
3. Causes you to send e-mail to the wrong person ... yep!
4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you ... who me?
5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment ... well phooey!
6. Causes you to hit 'SEND' before you've finished ... OH NO, not again!
7. Causes you to hit 'DELETE' instead of 'SEND' ... and I just hate that!
8. Causes you to hit 'SEND' when you should 'DELETE' ... Oh NO!!!
IT IS CALLED THE 'C-NILE VIRUS'
"Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing."
--Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1791
You also serve when you dedicate time and energy to reminding all the generations of the sacrifices made by our men and women in the military, past and present, and by teaching those same generations the principles and beliefs which caused them to serve so valiantly.
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