Posted on 05/30/2005 2:35:37 PM PDT by snugs
Today is Memorial Day President Bush commemorated this solemn event by taking part in the ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery along with the Secretary of Denfense Donald Rumsfeld.
For further details of this event and Arlington Cemetery in general visit http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/
Yesterday 29th May 2005, Secretary of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld addressed a Memorial Day Rolling Thunder veterans rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, May 29, 2005. Earlier in the day, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Richard Myers had led thousands of the Rolling Thunder motorcycle riders into Washington for their 18th annual 'Ride for Freedom' and rally for veterans
The history of Memorial Day
Each year, on the last Monday in May, the USA celebrates Memorial Day. For many, this day carries no special meaning except perhaps an extra day off from work, a beach barbecue, the start of the summer travel season, or for merchants, the opportunity to hold their annual Memorial Day Weekend sale.
In reality, the holiday is observed in honor of the nation's armed service personnel who were killed in wartime (in the UK this is the 11th November – Remembrance Day at which on the 11th hour of the 11th month we have a minutes silence all over the Britain).
The custom of honoring the graves of the war dead began prior to the end of the Civil War, but the national Memorial Day holiday (or "Decoration Day," as it was originally named) was first observed on May 30, 1868, on the order of General John Alexander Logan for the purpose of decorating the graves of the American Civil War dead. With the passage of time, Memorial Day was extended to honor all those who died in service, from the Revolutionary War to the present. It continued to be observed on May 30th until 1971, when most states changed to a newly established federal schedule of holiday observance.
Confederate Memorial Day, once a legal holiday in many southern states, is still observed on the fourth Monday in April in Alabama, and the last Monday in April in Mississippi and Georgia. A National Moment of Remembrance
May of 1997 saw the start of what is becoming an American tradition recognized by the President and Members of Congress -- to put the "memorial" back in Memorial Day. The idea of a National Moment of Remembrance was born a year earlier when children touring Lafayette Park in Washington, DC were asked what Memorial Day meant and they responded, "That's the day the pools open!"
The "Moment" was initiated by No Greater Love, a Washington, DC-based national humanitarian organization. For the first time in U.S. history, on Memorial Day 1997 "Taps" was played at 3 p.m. in many locations and at events throughout America. This effort was repeated again in subsequent years.
The objective of the "Moment" is to raise Americans' awareness of the honorable contributions made by those who died while defending our nation and to encourage all Americans to honor those who died as a result of service to this nation by pausing for one minute at 3:00 p.m. (local time) on Memorial Day.
This History of Taps
http://www.west-point.org/taps/Taps.html
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island which today a tribute to Memorial Day
Hi, LuvW!
Plus also IMHO he is still one attractive guy
Absolutely right. On both counts.
Pippin! How in the world are you this fine Memorial Day! Did you and yours have a good weekend? Sure do hope so!
Yes. From Kennebunkport.
Getting ready for my trip to Saskatchewan next Wednesday.
This will be my first trip since 9/11/01.
This ought to be interesting!
I actually thought it was a pretty good question. And Dick Cheney certainly handled his response extremely well.
"Chirac and Schroeder, are facing impending defeat!! SOMETIMES LIFE IS FAIR!!!"Total truth!!!!Thank you I do feel what"snugs" do have had write I do feel Germany do need good strong person Chirac is total communist toilet troll paper France do need good strong person. Thank you
Isn't Dick Cheney just the most wonderful person?
What I like also is, he is just himself.
And and loyal family man.
Thank you:}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
"Did Larry King just say that President Bush 41 and Barbara will be on his show tomorrow night?!
Yes. From Kennebunkport."
AWESOME . . . I hope this is a NEW interview!!
What I like also is, he is just himself.
And and loyal family man.
Absolutely. So loyal to his family and his country. And so intelligent and articulate, but totally modest and unassuming.
No wonder the left hates him, all they have to put up against him are people like the no-scruples gigolo John Kerry and that fat drunken pig Teddy Kennedy. No comparison, absolutely none.
In my view, he's the worst sort of politician: a preening, arrogant, nasty, self-agrandizing, pompous media kiss-arse who forms grudges over nothing and holds them longer than most people on the planet have been alive. And that's putting my view of him politely!
That's what we call it on Nov. 11, Veteran's Day.
BTW,, in case no one answered this, but MIA does mean "Missing in action"
FWIW, I agree with you. I think he knew the question was coming. Whether or not he asked for it to be asked, I don't know, but it's certainly possible.
I did everything possible to try to get on the thread this evening. Wanted to say thank you so much for doing this on our Memorial Day.
Saskatchewan! Wow! Are you from there, or do you just like to visit? You say it will be interesting--in what way? You mean that you haven't been anywhere since 9-11 or just to there? I went to California a week after it--needless to say, I was very nervous when up in the air, but I wanted to see my son bad enough to just go!
So........are you saying you don't like him?
LOL! I agree with you, by the way.
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