I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day.

Thanks all who serve, have served, and have died for our freedom.

I'll be remembering my Dad this weekend in a very special way.

Indeed, whenever I feel blessed I remember those that paid with their lives so we could live as free men.

Thank you, and God bless you.

Thank you for starting this post RobW,

I always do my best this time of the year to educate the younger ones in our midst what Memorial day truly means and how it came about.

Many Millennia's just consider it to be another day off.

God Bless all those that have served, and those that continue to do so.

Shocking that the majority of millennials don't even know Why they have the day off!!

And in street side interviews late last week, Watter's interviewed a whole host of those age-range folks and most couldn't state who the USA fought in the Korean War! What happened to teaching History lessons lest we remember and know it, otherwise, we are doomed to repeat it.

Thanks Rob for keep this one out there.

Lest we never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live free. Remember that Memorial Day is for those like the man in this picture from Omaha Beach, the fallen, and their memories and sacrifices; not for the living.

I joined the Marine Corps with my best friend Anthony Thomas Brown. After his first enlistment, he decided to join the Army so he could jump out of planes. He did 5 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan earning the rank of Master Sargent in the 82nd Airborne. On his last combat tour he made a jump with 300lbs of gear, landed wrong and broke his back. He survived the jump and they shipped home back to his base in Alaska for rehab. They had him doped up on opiates and the combination of the injury drugs and alcohol finally took his life. He lasted about 6 months after returning with his injury...
Semper Fi and god speed Tony...

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.....Thank you all for your *SERVICE*(military)God bless

If you REALLY want to thank those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, VOTE this year and every year after. By NOT voting, you may as well be spitting on all their graves. Get registered if you haven't already and VOTE. Thousands died for your rite to vote, so get off your butts and exercise that rite. Is this a rant? You be your sweet ass it is.

Great rant and a right we shouldn't abuse or neglect. Condolences and prayers to all of those families who have lost loved ones in their defense of our common freedoms and rights.

Being retired after 20 years of service and still serving the Federal GOV, Father Vietnam vet, Uncle in WWII, many more family members who gave their all....this is a special holiday for me. Time to remember and reflect. I just lucked out on the rotating shift work schedule. Normally I work most holidays. Got the day off which is my Wife's Birthday, just luck on my work rotation, I work rotating shifts, just like in the military. All the deployments over the decades and missing family time. But this holiday is to remember not just us who served, it is for who gave all, those who gave their lives for the country in service. Remember them, enjoy your BBQ, but really remember what the holiday is for. Most think this is a nice paid day off and time to eat.......but is it? Or a time of to know those who gave their lives in defense of freedom. After 2 tours as Honor Guard, in Biloxi while stationed there I used to prep with all the other local residents to put flags on every grave at the VA. I received the flag for vets that had no family to receive them when they were addicted to drugs or had PTSD and were rejected in their final days of life with no family members who would show up to their funerals. We then after the Honor Guard ceremony turned the flag back for the burial. Blithering but this is emotional to me.

Studying WWII should be mandatory. Europe has better care of WWII than we do. America has long forgotten how perilous the world became in the 40's. There were those who thought America should have just steered clear.

Get out somewhere for Memorial Day. Think of someone that has served our country. Call them, pray for them, or just think of them.

For local folks, we'll be at the Livermore Airport this afternoon, and there's a ceremony in Pleasanton tomorrow.

Indeed, [b]thank you for our freedom.

Thank you for your service.
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Yes, we all should have thanks for those who gave their lives so we all can live free.
As for the post above....its SAD that those folks who were interviewed failed with their response!

This is for my Dad and all others who have served, died and for those currently serving. My thanks for allowing me to be free and become what I wanted.

Never forget!!!!

Today at C&C I met a former marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. His large shrapnel scar on his leg was hard to miss. He made it home, attending C&C with his daughter today - how special and fortunate considering what could have happened. I shook has hand and sincerely thanked him for his service.

Hope you all have good memorial day and remember those still here and those no longer. Lots of us personally know people who have served or still are serving.

For locals today:

http://patch.com/california/pleasanton/cal...al-day-ceremony

I was going to ride the B-24 for the first time yesterday, but was waived off due to mechanical failure. I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Instead, I went out and started building a flag case for Dad's flag. I pinned on the front of the flag, his Freedom medal, WWII medal, Nav wings, dog tag, rank bars, and Air Force pin. The box is made out of oak. I need to figure out the glass.



I have been thinking about something else and its time to move forward on it. I want to build a 914 WWII tribute car in the likeness of my Dad's WWII B-24, keep reminding people about WWII, and HONOR all past, present, and future military.

My Dads 2 brothers Navy and made it Home , Moms brother Pearl Harbor survivor.. My son, Navy IS

Every teenager in the country should be made to watch "Saving Private Ryan". At least the first 30 minutes.

Please let's not get too focused on WWII or on veterans in general, this is a day to remember those who gave their life while serving, and its roots go back to the Civil War. Veterans Day is for commemorating all those who have served.

I'm not trying to be a downer or be ungrateful - I grew up in the military, work for the military, respect what they do, let them know it (as I did yesterday as mentioned in an above post), agree that many Americans young and old are clueless/thankless in respect to the military, but let's not confuse our holidays.

With that said, I have worked for five defense companies over the years, three of them small business founded by veterans, and only one of the five honors Veterans' Day as a company holiday, which happens to be my current employer who started the company after retiring from the military. Our schools here honor Veteran's Day with a day off, but where I grew up, though a military area, schools are open for Veteran's Day. Go figure...

Memorial Day has been around 148 years.....