Happy Memorial Day Everyone..... I hope everyone takes a few minutes to reflect on the Veterans who have passed, honor their memory and remember this day as it was meant to be...... also if you see a Veteran honoring their fellow, please shake their hand and tell them thank-you for what they have done for your country.

I know we have many Veterans here on our boards Thank You for all you have done.

Yes, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I think of them every single day, and often late at night, when the room is dark and quiet.

SSgt. Joseph M. (USA)- Eindoven, Holland
1stSgt. Jospeh H. (USAF)- Incheon, Korea
Petty Officer Andrew A. H. (USN) - South China Sea, Vietnam
GSgt. Vance H. (USMC) - Panama
Capt. Anthony H. (USA)- Al Anbar, Iraq
CWO Michael H. (USMC) - Tal Afar, Iraq

If they were here right now, each of them would give me a knuckle sandwich for posting their names, and I would gladly accept it.

-Vic

We have one flag on our front porch and another one in our living room. The colors clash with the rest of the room, but we don't care. I had a small patriotic flag below our mailbox until someone else thought they needed it more than I did. It will get replaced when DH makes the post more secure. My backyard contains a few rose bushes, with two of them being Veteran's Honor, and Honor. My now deceased father-in-law served this country during WWII and the Korean War. The only thing he ever said about his experience was, there are no atheists in fox holes. My own father proudly served too, but never saw combat. Every day is Appreciate Our Military Day in this household of four.

Thanks Char. Jim and all of our family thank you. Coming from a military family, this day is a special one.

I thought of you this morning when I was writing the thread.....

Would you believe I forgot it was even a holiday till I called my bank to see how broke I was and it was closed.

Happy memorial day.

My GodFather died at Iwo Jima (WW11) My Bro and DH served and are now deceased.

Thank You, Families, of the Brave, we lost..

My Dad joined the Army Air Corps in 1953. In 1955, he re-upped in the USAF. He served until 1984, when he went Reserve. He retired in 1994.

He was a radio and communications specialist, and was an instructor during his reserve service. He was injured during a guerilla attack in the Philippines while traveling to repair a com tower in 1962. He was in Vietnam several times, each stretch for less than 30 days, because my oldest brother is blind, and back then it was considered a hardship, so they couldn't keep him there.

When he retired from the service, he became a postal worker. He was in that niche where they could double dip on the federal pension, so he did pretty good.

He died in 2005. While going through his things with him, he tried to throw away all his service records because he wouldn't need them anymore. I rescued them and saved them to preserve with his uniforms, all of which he had saved, along with all his medals and awards and ribbons. I don't know what each one signifies, but I plan to do research and make a book with an explanation of what each one was for.

I want the next generations to understand that we were a military family and how proud he was to serve.

I saw a lot of the world because of my Dad. I didn't appreciate it a lot of the time, especially when we had to move AGAIN, but I do now.

R.I.P. Dad and thanks!

(p.s. I still remember the CORRECT way to polish shoes!)

God bless them all! My late brother Bobby served in the army during the Vietnam war. My son spent four years in the USAF as an Avionics technician for the F-16s. My FIL served in WWI, my late brother in law served four years in the army and my brother in law in Texas served in the Korean war as a tail gunner.

God bless them past and still living, we owe our service men and women so much.