FReeper Canteen ~ Memorial Day 2018 ~ 28 May 2018

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC & The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

The FReeper Canteen Observes ------------------------ Memorial Day 2018 ------------------------

 

History

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet (see below) carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

More history here.

 

 

 

 

Poetry & SONG

MEMORIAL DAY In distant field of sunny France Where strangers come and go, Amid the farms of Flanders, where The fragrant breezes blow, Our soldier-dead in quiet sleep 'Neath crosses row on row. Here shrapnel shells once shrieked and burst And took their toll of death; The very wind, itself a foe, Bore poison on its breath. Above their graves the birds now sing As round that home of yore, When, carefree boys, they romped and played; Those childhood days soon o’er, The boys to brave and strong men grown, They romped and played no more. They put aside their childish toys, A man’s work each must do, And when their country called for them, To her they answered true. "We must protect our native land: She shall not suffer wrong For she has reared and nurtured us, We’re men and we are strong. We’ll bid good-by to those we love; It will not be for long." With aching hearts and tear-dimmed eyes We watched them go away. Some have returned but many sleep In foreign lands today. Where English roses bloom and fade, In France where lilies grow, Among the fields of Flanders, where The scarlet poppies blow, Our soldier-dead are not forgot Though strangers come and go. ~By Eula Gladys Lincoln~

America the Beautiful - 1913 O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife. Who more than self the country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for halcyon skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the enameled plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till souls wax fair as earth and air And music-hearted sea! O beautiful for pilgrims feet, Whose stern impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America ! America ! God shed his grace on thee Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought By pilgrim foot and knee! O beautiful for glory-tale Of liberating strife When once and twice, for man's avail Men lavished precious life ! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till selfish gain no longer stain The banner of the free! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till nobler men keep once again Thy whiter jubilee!

 

 

 

 

 

Links to redrock's
Memorial Day Threads from 2006

"We Can Be Heroes.....Just For One Day"
MEMORIAL DAY --Thread # 1


"Just Another Drunk Indian..."
MEMORIAL DAY--Thread # 2


"Chocolate Chip Cookies"
MEMORIAL DAY --Thread # 3


"Hey...Do Ya Wanna Hear a Polish Joke???"
MEMORIAL DAY --Thread # 4

 

"Remember...What We Owe.."
MEMORIAL DAY --Thread # 5


"The Betrayal of The American Soldier"
MEMORIAL DAY Thread # 6


Final -- "Falls The Night"
MEMORIAL DAY Thread # 7

 

 

 

 

[radu]

Westboro Baptist Church. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

I vaguely remember when that happened. My memory stinks these days. That was an awesome response by the PGR and others in Maine.

[radu]

DUH! That’s what happens when one is doing three things at once. I’m answering emails in one window, watching lava flow in a second, and FR in a third.

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks very much, Kathy!

*HUGS*

Mrs. MacNessa and I watched the National Memorial Day Concert this evening and were both moved by what we saw and heard. I don't think that this concert would have happened a few years ago. Just saying.

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[PROCON]

The 3 of us yesterday.

[PROCON]

LOVE those pics, MS., ((HUGS))!

[luvie]

Absolutely!

Beautiful,Sis! (((hugs)))

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Radu!

*HUGS*

I hope you have had a great weekend as well! We've had rain but no flooding in our area. Of course, more rain is expected tomorrow.

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hi there, mountainlion....yes, indeed, God Bless America.
Very nice that you found such men in your search of the past.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

“Westboro Baptist Church”
I’ve seen these cretins up close and they are just trash.

[radu]

Gettin’ old is no fun at all! If this is what the Silver Years are like, I’m not so sure I look forward to the Golden Years. LOL

Very nice of Mother Nature to give y’all a cooler weekend up there. Made it pleasant to be outside at the shooting range, though it sounded like the three of you heated the place up! :-)

I’m just doing a small part at the museum. The guys are doing the hard work - unpacking everything and placing it out - and it’s looking better all the time.

One of the guys took me out to the shop building yesterday to see the mountain of big totes crammed full of more items from Tupelo. OMG! And there’s still a LOT more to bring up. We’ll all be busy for quite a while. I’m so glad they allow me to be a part of this endeavor.

It’s been pretty toasty here the past week and muggy. Pop-up showers all around and a couple popped up over us. Gonna be a wet couple of days ahead as that system in the Gulf runs up over us.

Kittehs behavin’? HA!! We should be so lucky! LOL! They’re quiet at the moment but that could change in a heartbeat.

[radu]

Love the pic! Looks like y’all were having a blast together.
I take it that was taken at the range?

[radu]

WHEW!!! Relieved to know you weren’t caught up in the flooding. I didn’t catch just where in Maryland it was but saw a couple of shots of water rushing BIG time.

It’s been a good weekend so far. A day working at the military museum and a day recuperating. LOL! A little rain a couple of times. Looks like we’ll get inundated with it Tuesday.

[mylife]

Hey der you

[luvie]

THERE you are!! Great picture!

[mylife]

Blessings

[Kathy in Alaska]

Welcome to the Canteen, Neoliberalnot....General Patton had a very good point.

"...we should thank God that such men lived."

[PROCON]

Yup, the pic was at the range.

[radu]

I feel for you. They are scum I never want to be up close to.

But some of the PGR have been here a couple of times to escort and honor local fallen soldiers. What a wonderful group.

[luvie]

Always.