Happy Memorial Day

GraphyFotoz

To all who have served our Country and provided the freedom we enjoy your time has been muchly appreciated!

To those who are serving and have served in Iraq and Afghanistan our prayers are with you.
This also goes out to those who have lost any Family or Friends that have served.



Some of my shots from local past Veteran Memorial Services in 2002 and 2004.
It's been awhile since I got any newer shots.
Don't matter....the meaning and feeling captured is still the same today!

System

"To all who have served our Country and provided the freedom we enjoy your time has been muchly appreciated!"


I wholeheartedly agree!-

a nice tribute!-

GraphyFotoz

gefillmore wrote:

"To all who have served our Country and provided the freedom we enjoy your time has been muchly appreciated!"


I wholeheartedly agree!-

a nice tribute!-

Thanx!
They deserve it!

jbr13

Grapphyfotoz, Thanks for the great shots and the kind words. After seeing the vets are from Owego and Vestal, I assume you are from that area too. Has the sun come out up there yet this year? Joking, I know you all get some weather that way, and not a lot of sun from time to time. I've been to the area a few time and it is a very nice place! Have a great Memorial Day to all!

J

GraphyFotoz wrote:

Thanx!
They deserve it!

GraphyFotoz

jbr13 wrote:

Grapphyfotoz, Thanks for the great shots and the kind words. After seeing the vets are from Owego and Vestal, I assume you are from that area too. Has the sun come out up there yet this year? Joking, I know you all get some weather that way, and not a lot of sun from time to time. I've been to the area a few time and it is a very nice place! Have a great Memorial Day to all!

J

Yup lotsa sun this year so far....maybe too much...kinda dry and very warm already.
Yes I live Endicott/Endwell area in Broome County.

DI-Joe

Great photos. You can see the memories of loved ones past on their faces.

Interesting story about Memorial Day.

I served 8 great years in the US Marine Corps. as a linguist. Some of my ancillary duties included being on the colorguard.

One year, I did a Memorial Day parade and I was all dressed and dressed in my Blues looking super sharp, ready to go walk down the main drag of one of the suburb towns outside of Baltimore. I was a rifle bearer at the time and the only way I knew where I was going was by syncronizing myself to the Marine to my left. The Marine Corps colors were in my face and I couldn't see anything. This prompted me to highten my hearing. Some of the things I could hear were folks on the sides yelling out, "Thank you" and "Thank you for serving", etc. I hadn't really ever heard it previous to that. That's probably due to the fact that the vast majority of my time in uniform wasn't spent in front of the general public. It brought tears to my eyes to hear it and it had made everything I'd done previously worth it.

Now, a few years later, Memorial Day has a few extra meanings for me. I've lost friends and fellow service members since then. In addition to remembering my father who was a Vietnam vet and a Marine as well.

Happy Memorial Day. Give everyone in your life a hug.

Joe (aka Sgt Hancuff, USMC, Frm)

GraphyFotoz

Great story Joe thanx for your service!
We need to remember...while we might not agree with the cause (Iraq for one) we still need to remember our Troops.
They are just doing their job and what they are told.
I feel sad for the Families who have lost loved ones in any war.

Be great if someday there were no wars.....dunno if that'll ever happen.

JESTER

Jim,

Thanks for the kind thoughts and nice photos. I too served proudly in the Marines for 26 years. I preformed in many a parade (yea Joe, I know what you mean by not being able to see where you were going) and way too many burial details. It is extremely difficult to hold your composure while doing these. You definately have to hold back the tears. Especially for the ones you knew or the families you became attached to. I still get tears in my eyes while watching TV when they are having memorial services for an American Marine or Soldier. A lot of Americans don't realize or care what their freedom costs. But as you stated, we ALL need to support the Troops no matter what our feelings about the Government.

dogwood

Just a little aside-- but isn't Memorial Day about soldiers who have died in the line of duty? I'm not trying to start a flame war or anything-- but seems like there is a lot of "thank a veteran" sentiment here. No problem with that-- just pointing out though that Memorial Day is actually about the dead-- not the living.

Again, I'm not trying to stir anything up-- just pointing this out.

Elaine

I think perhaps the sentiment is to honor the dead by thanking and appreciating the living that continue in their service...that's one way to remember the sacrifce of those who died.

JESTER

Elaine wrote:

I think perhaps the sentiment is to honor the dead by thanking and appreciating the living that continue in their service...that's one way to remember the sacrifce of those who died.

Nicely stated Elaine. Memorial Day is officially to honor the fallen but we also like to take every opportunity we can to also thank the living for what they are doing.

dogwood

Elaine wrote:

I think perhaps the sentiment is to honor the dead by thanking and appreciating the living that continue in their service...that's one way to remember the sacrifce of those who died.

This all makes sense, and again I'm not trying to stir anything up.

Just want to point out Veteran's Day is about the living vets (after all, on Veteran's day we don't honor the living by thanking the dead, do we?) and Memorial Day is about remembering the dead.

JESTER

dogwood wrote:

This all makes sense, and again I'm not trying to stir anything up.

Just want to point out Veteran's Day is about the living vets (after all, on Veteran's day we don't honor the living by thanking the dead, do we?) and Memorial Day is about remembering the dead.

Well, Yes we do. I have been on many memorial services on Veteran's Day to honor the dead. After all, they are Veteran's too! So you CAN honor both the living and dead on both days. That is all I am trying to say. And like any war, the living and the dead can be measured by just a few seconds!

Dupont24

I personaly thanks to all the veterans and who are serving for our country at this time for the freedom. I would not be setting here if it wasn't for the vets and our current soliders replying to this message. God bless our vets and our soliders and the lost ones and family's.