Memorial Weekend thoughts
#1
05-24-2014, 07:52 PM
Memorial Weekend thoughts
A thought here on Memorial Day Weekend...
I am a former British Royal Marine and I know the stories of our vets. I know their names, I know where they fought and all too often where and how they fell. This Memorial Day weekend we pause in memory of all of them.
That said, it isn't my point. Most of you have never served in the military. An even larger percentage of those have never seen combat. I bet you know someone that did though. I'd bet that whether it's a friend or a loved one, your buddy from work or church, you know a vet that came back from war and as a nation, we are failing these people.
We are losing our returning vets at an alarming rate. Between 1999 and 2010, we averaged TWENTY-TWO veteran suicides EVERY DAY. Every 65 minutes, another vet is choosing to end their own life. This MUST not stand, this CAN NOT be allowed to continue.
I don't have the answers to how we heal their wounds. I don't know how we help them bury the demons they brought back with them. I do know though that I can reach out to these folks and I can check on them. I can, and I will. I will call them, email them and if I could, I would put my eyes on them. They don't need any speech by me, but maybe, just maybe, mine will be the voice that tells them that someone still gives a damn and it's not that dark. Guys coming back have used the abbreviation CYB- Check Your Buddies and that's what I'm asking you to do. You don't have to even mention their service. You need to call them, tell them that you're thinking about them, tell them that you love them and you need to LISTEN. They may say nothing of consequence, but then again, they might.
It's Memorial Day weekend. Memories will come back. Some may be memories they'd sooner forget, but they don't get a choice there. Check Your Buddies this weekend, and make a habit of it. They don't need to be psychoanalyzed, but everyone out there needs to know that someone cares and you may make a vital difference in the life of someone you care about. Go do it. The finest way I can think to honor our fallen is to be there for their brothers and sisters that made it home. Go and be with them and make them smile and laugh and do it this weekend and every weekend
I am a former British Royal Marine and I know the stories of our vets. I know their names, I know where they fought and all too often where and how they fell. This Memorial Day weekend we pause in memory of all of them.
That said, it isn't my point. Most of you have never served in the military. An even larger percentage of those have never seen combat. I bet you know someone that did though. I'd bet that whether it's a friend or a loved one, your buddy from work or church, you know a vet that came back from war and as a nation, we are failing these people.
We are losing our returning vets at an alarming rate. Between 1999 and 2010, we averaged TWENTY-TWO veteran suicides EVERY DAY. Every 65 minutes, another vet is choosing to end their own life. This MUST not stand, this CAN NOT be allowed to continue.
I don't have the answers to how we heal their wounds. I don't know how we help them bury the demons they brought back with them. I do know though that I can reach out to these folks and I can check on them. I can, and I will. I will call them, email them and if I could, I would put my eyes on them. They don't need any speech by me, but maybe, just maybe, mine will be the voice that tells them that someone still gives a damn and it's not that dark. Guys coming back have used the abbreviation CYB- Check Your Buddies and that's what I'm asking you to do. You don't have to even mention their service. You need to call them, tell them that you're thinking about them, tell them that you love them and you need to LISTEN. They may say nothing of consequence, but then again, they might.
It's Memorial Day weekend. Memories will come back. Some may be memories they'd sooner forget, but they don't get a choice there. Check Your Buddies this weekend, and make a habit of it. They don't need to be psychoanalyzed, but everyone out there needs to know that someone cares and you may make a vital difference in the life of someone you care about. Go do it. The finest way I can think to honor our fallen is to be there for their brothers and sisters that made it home. Go and be with them and make them smile and laugh and do it this weekend and every weekend
#2
05-26-2014, 10:20 AM
Recovery Vehicle
Well said..
Amazingly I am close to only one individual who served in our armed forces/military. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about what he has done for our country and how he is doing. I hope he knows that he can contact me anytime (as I've told him repeatedly) and that my door is always open to him.
My grandfather was a WWII vet who went away to war with dark brown hair and came back with pure white. I will never forget riding in his vehicle with him one summer as we were leaving a restaurant. As part of the 4th of July activities in our town we host an air show. It was a few days before the show and the fighter jets were out practicing. One of the jets flew low over our vehicle (breaking the sound barrier?) and my grandfather slammed on the brakes and sat behind the steering wheel absolutely 'paralyzed', shaking, his face as white as his hair. I had never seen that side of him before. I had taken for granted that my grandfather fought for our country and came home without any demons. It wasn't until that moment that I realized what he must have been through and how he coped without anyone knowing. He was always so strong, it put things into a different perspective for me.
We are so fortunate to have a strong armed forces and be able to live the life we do in freedom. Many citizens in other countries cannot say the same.
If you are reading this and are an active or former military serviceman or woman, I want to thank you. Thank you for defending our freedom, thank you for protecting us as we sleep and go about our daily lives, and thank you for all that you do.
Amazingly I am close to only one individual who served in our armed forces/military. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about what he has done for our country and how he is doing. I hope he knows that he can contact me anytime (as I've told him repeatedly) and that my door is always open to him.
My grandfather was a WWII vet who went away to war with dark brown hair and came back with pure white. I will never forget riding in his vehicle with him one summer as we were leaving a restaurant. As part of the 4th of July activities in our town we host an air show. It was a few days before the show and the fighter jets were out practicing. One of the jets flew low over our vehicle (breaking the sound barrier?) and my grandfather slammed on the brakes and sat behind the steering wheel absolutely 'paralyzed', shaking, his face as white as his hair. I had never seen that side of him before. I had taken for granted that my grandfather fought for our country and came home without any demons. It wasn't until that moment that I realized what he must have been through and how he coped without anyone knowing. He was always so strong, it put things into a different perspective for me.
We are so fortunate to have a strong armed forces and be able to live the life we do in freedom. Many citizens in other countries cannot say the same.
If you are reading this and are an active or former military serviceman or woman, I want to thank you. Thank you for defending our freedom, thank you for protecting us as we sleep and go about our daily lives, and thank you for all that you do.
#4
05-28-2014, 03:31 PM
Baja
Originating from an ethnic minority, not to bang on about it, but I have a vested interest in special memorial days, in fact about 6 million vested interests around 70 years ago.
One life lost unnecessarily whether it is a military or civilian life is one too many IMO. We count the costs in lives of others madness.
One life lost unnecessarily whether it is a military or civilian life is one too many IMO. We count the costs in lives of others madness.
#5
06-06-2014, 08:12 AM
Its that time again and worthy of reflection.
On the 6th of June my now late father came down in this field just like this spry old veteran did today.
D-day anniversary: 89-year-old veteran parachutes into Normandy
And adding some sights and sounds from Ranville the first village liberated on that day.
D-Day 70th anniversary marked in Ranville, Normandy
En Memoriam
T/V
On the 6th of June my now late father came down in this field just like this spry old veteran did today.
D-day anniversary: 89-year-old veteran parachutes into Normandy
And adding some sights and sounds from Ranville the first village liberated on that day.
D-Day 70th anniversary marked in Ranville, Normandy
En Memoriam
T/V
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SuperiorCarCare
Detailing
0
05-22-2014 10:42 AM
AtlanticBritish
Member Group And Special Buys
0
05-26-2011 10:51 AM
fridgefreezer
4X4 Events and Weekend Outings
2
03-03-2007 10:42 AM