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Memorial Day

Enjoy your holiday weekend - 'eat, drink and be merry,' but spend at least a little time remembering the reason for this most solemn national holiday.

May 28, 2018: Memorial Day is 1 of 3 days The Flag should be routinely flown at half-staff...But only until 12:00 noon (to honor their sacrifice), and should be raised to its peak from 12:00 till the end of the day (to honor their glory).*

*This is entirely MY opinion on a problem for many over this great holiday:  If you are out of town and have to either leave your Flag at half or full-staff while you are gone - by all means FLY IT HIGH!  I say this with no disrespect to the 'sacrifice' portion, but out of ultimate respect for the 'glory' portion...There is no 'rule' on the matter, I just know most of our servicemen value their 'glory' much more than they fret their 'sacrifice.'

"Old soldiers never die, they just fade away." - Gen. Douglas MacArthur

Unfortunately, America has seen many of its soldiers die, often too young and well before their time. Such is the price of freedom - It is a stiff one...Which is why we must always remember and honor them, so they don't "just fade away."

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.

*The comments above in blue are my own...Those in black are from Edward Palmer (The Joe Foss Institute)

Liberal 'Animals' Run Amok

It's hard to believe Democrats, Liberals and the Mainstream Media (as if there's a difference) have decided to fight President Trump over calling gang-bangers 'animals,' but they have...Even the Hispanic community (legal and otherwise) knows these people are 'animals.'  Hell, the Hispanic community knows this fact better than anyone!!

Here's hoping the Republicans are smart enough to properly use this stupidity against the Democrats in the coming election cycle.

Armed Forces Day

"AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU!!"

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly formed day. The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine Corps Day but supports Armed Forces Day, too.

In a speech announcing the formation of the day, President Truman "praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas" and said, "it is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace." In an excerpt from the Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Mr. Truman stated:

"Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America's defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense."

The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was "Teamed for Defense." It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of "educational program for civilians," one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life.

The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. In Washington D.C., 10,000 troops of all branches of the military, cadets, and veterans marched pass the President and his party. In Berlin, 1,000 U.S. troops paraded for the German citizens at Templehof Airfield. In New York City, an estimated 33,000 participants initiated Armed Forces Day "under an air cover of 250 military planes of all types." In the harbors across the country were the famed mothballed "battlewagons" of World War II, the Missouri, the New Jersey, the North Carolina, and the Iowa, all open for public inspection. Precision flying teams dominated the skies as tracking radar was exhibited on the ground. All across the country, the American people joined together to honor the Armed Forces.

According to a New York Times article published on May 17, 1952:

"It was a day for the military to show 'state-of-the-art' equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States."

"This is the day on which we have the welcome opportunity to pay special tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces...to all the individuals who are in the service of their country all over the world. Armed Forces Day won't be a matter of parades and receptions for a good many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some of them may give their lives in that duty."

- Edward Palmer (Joe Foss Institute)

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