 |
|
| Background | Memorials | POW-MIA | Presidential Remarks |
| Bibliography | Women | Miscellaneous | Back to Site Map |
Where Would You Like To Go On Our Other Pages ?
JUST A SIMPLE SOLDIER
He was getting old and paunchy and
his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion telling stories of the past,
Of a war that he had fought in and
the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, everyone.
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors,
his tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened, for they knew where-of he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer,
for old Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.
No he won't be mourned by many, just
his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary very quiet sort of life,
He held a job and raised a family,
quietly going on his way;
And the world won't note his passing; 'tho a soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth,
their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great,
Papers tell of their life stories from
the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed, and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution to the
welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow who in times
of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?
The politican's stipend and the style
in which he lives,
Are sometimes disproportionate to the services he gives,
While the ordinary soldier, who offered
up his all,
Is paid off with a medal, and perhaps a pension small.
It's so easy to forget them, for it
was so long ago
that our Bob's and Jim's and Jonny's went to battle, but we know.
It was not the politicians, with their
compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom that our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger
with your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out with his ever waffling stand?
Or would you want a soldier who has
sworn to defend
His home, his kin, and country, and would fight until the end?
He was just a common soldier and his
ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us, we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict,
then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor while he's
here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, FOR A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."
**********************************************
(Author Unknown)
MEMORIAL DAY 1995
Sacrifice. It's a word we all know. All of us have made some sacrifices in our lives. We make sacrifices for our family, for our close friends, even for our neighbors and coworkers. Persons in the Armed Forces make many sacrifices, and over one million Americans have given their lives, the ultimate sacrifice, while serving in our Nation's armed forces. Throughout history, members of the Armed Forces have risked their lives not merely for their family or their coworkers, but for a cause represented by the American flag, and the freedom to choose and the liberty to succeed which it embodies.
Some Americans are too young to remember; others have too quickly forgotten. How important, therefore, that we honor our veterans, that we learn from them, and that we teach others about history, about war, about sacrifice. We are still reminded about Korea, Vietnam, and more recent encounters. We should not, however, allow the memory, the lessons, and the sacrifices of our terrible world wars to fade. Proud veterans of those wars are among us today. Their presence bears witness to sacrifice.
Fifty years ago this month, our Nation was beginning to absorb the meaning of victory in Europe, to realize what the final tally was in terms of lives lost or shattered as the result of the awful conflict in Europe and North Africa. In April of 1945, President Roosevelt had died of a cerebral hemorrhage at Warm Springs, Georgia. The battle in the Pacific still raged as scientists neared completion of the first atomic bomb. The sacrifices would continue for four more months, and then the bloodiest of all wars would be over.
Veterans of World War I saw staggering losses in bitter trench warfare and history's first use of such horrible tactics as gas warfare. Fewer than 20,000 veterans of that brutal conflict are still alive today.
Cemeteries in two small towns in northwest Maryland contain the dead from the battle at Antietam, where more casualties occurred in a single day than on any other day of the Civil War. The United States and the world learned of the awful toll of war when two of Mathew Brady's assistants photographed the dead of
Antietam. The pictures brought home the shocking toll of war and its accompanying sacrifice when they were first displayed in 1862, and they are no less shocking today. It is fitting that each Memorial Day, the 2,100 graves of the Union dead are decorated with small American flags, a scene which stirs the conscience, but which only hints at the sacrifices which took place on the day of the battle. In a nearby cemetery, there are no decorations for the graves of 2,400 Confederate soldiers. We hope that these graves will be decorated on Memorial Day.
Battlefields and cemeteries remind us of the terrible sacrifices and loss of life in war. But many of us or our
family members remember all too directly the experience of war. The first half of this century saw two world wars. These were the "wars to end all wars". How wrong we were to think the experience of war was behind us! Consider Korea. Vietnam. Lebanon. Grenada. Panama. The Persian Gulf. Somalia. Haiti.
We have asked much of our fighting men and women.
Although many members of our Armed Forces are buried on foreign soils, there are cemeteries throughout this country
which contain the remains of the very best that America had to offer. Remembering is what Memorial Day is for, and what gives it meaning is how each one of us remembers the great sacrifices which have made possible the blessings we share as Americans today.
G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery
MEMORIAL DAY 1996
On this Memorial Day, as on similar days in years past, we call to mind the contributions of the millions of men and women who served in our Nation's Armed Forces. It is a day to transmit to those who will come after us the tradition of remembering those who died in the service of our country.
"Why did these gallant Americans have to die?" Children often ask the simplest, and at the same time, most profound questions. "Who were these young men and women? Are they related to us? How did they die?"
As Americans, we learn the answers to some of these questions from our teachers at a young age, but the answers take on special meaning for those of us who have lost dear friends during wartime. Yes, these soldiers and others buried in our national cemeteries and our overseas cemeteries are related to us. They were sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, Native Americans, African Americans-every type of American, educated or not, rich or poor. Every one of them was related to somebody; in important ways, they are related to us today.
The words "freedom" and "democracy" are most often used to explain why American servicemembers gave their lives while serving in the country's Armed Forces. And in far-off places such as Bosnia and South Korea, American men and women still risk their lives for these same principles.
How can these words be interpreted for a child? How does freedom become something worth dying for, especially when it's someone else's freedom that is most at risk? These are questions that we strive to answer each Memorial Day. There is no single correct answer to these questions. We know from our history and the history of other great peoples that there is nothing more courageous, no greater gift of love than to be willing to lay down one's life for another. Love is something a child understands, perhaps better than anything else.
As we celebrate Memorial Day this year, it is appropriate to remember and honor the veterans and servicemembers -- people we never knew -- who risked their lives for us because they loved something more important than life. It is our duty to remember their honorable service, and to remain vigilant against threats to the principles they held so dear.
G. V. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY
Memorial Day time to reflect on past
Although the holiday was "observed" Monday, America officially commemorates the lives of fallen American service personnel today. However, like in previous years, it is likely that the true meaning of the holiday will be lost on many.
Memorial Day was set aside as a day to remember those people who have died in the service of their country. In years past, parades and ceremonies commemorating the dead were better attended. Many people knew of someone who had died in military service, fighting for their country.
Even though classes were not held Monday, students should take it upon themselves to understand the reasons for the sacrifices of those in military service who have died. Although war and military service tend to be unpopular here at the University, it is important to realize that the major purpose of the American military over the history of the country has been to protect the United States and its interests throughout the world.
Over two world wars and a number of other conflicts, the military has worked to defend the country and extend freedom and liberty to people in other countries of the world. Whether in Normandy or North Dakota, American service personnel have worked for decades to ensure that the country can look forward to a safe and democratic tomorrow.
Many University students can only remember the current peacetime era in America. War and death, for some, is something only seen in movies and high school textbooks. However, the United States has been involved in a number of wars and conflicts this century. In past generations, the news of military personnel killed in battle was more common than it is today.
In past years, thousands of Americans died while serving the United States. From world wars in Europe and Asia to conflicts in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf to a civil war that threatened to end America as it is currently known, the military has worked to protect the freedom of Americans and to extend our liberties to others. Americans owe their gratitude to those who have died in the line of duty for doing a job that few would do.
Americans have, for the most part, forgotten the meaning of Memorial Day, mostly because the nation's collective memory has forgotten the tragic reality of war. If more Americans personally experienced a major war, the observance of Memorial Day would be taken much more seriously by the public. As it stands now, the majority of those observing Memorial Day are those who have fought in battle themselves. Service personnel deserve more than that from their country.
Americans should remember the true meaning and intent of Memorial Day. For those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to this country -- laying down their lives for the freedom of the United States -- it's the least that Americans can do.
( Author Unknown )
| Home Page | Site Map | Contents | Comments | Holiday Page | Web Rings |
| Hot Links | Favorite Sites | Thanks | Virus Info | Things I Believe in | Awards |