Thank you Veterans for your service,

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: Amergin
Date: 23 May 01 - 01:39 PM

Mrrzy, I found this site for you, my friend.....though I have a strong suspicion you already knew of it...

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 May 01 - 01:08 PM

Here it is, from http://www3.pei.sympatico.ca/wfrancis/lightfoot/patriots.htm:

Patriot's Dream (Gordon Lightfoot)

(G) The songs of the wars are as (C) old as the hills
They (G) cling like the rust on the (A) cold steel that (D) kills
They (G) tell of the boys who went down to the (C) tracks
In a (D) patriotic manner with the (C) cold steel on their (G) backs
The patriot's dream is as old as the sky
It lives in the lust of a cold callous lie
Let's drink to the men who got caught by the chill
Of the patriotic fever and the cold steel that kills
The train pulled away on that glorious night
The drummer got drunk and the bugler got tight
While the boys in the back sang a song of good cheer
While riding off to glory in the spring of their years
The patriot's dream still lives on today
It makes mothers weep and it makes lovers pray
Let's drink to the men who got caught by the chill
Of the patriotic fever and the cold steel that kills

(Em) Well there (G) was a (D) sad, sad (Em) lady
(G) Weeping (D) all night (Em) long
She re(G)ceived a (D) sad, sad (Em) message
From a (G) voice on the (D) tele(Em)phone
Her (G) children (D) were all (Em) sleeping
As she (G) waited (D) out the (Em) dawn
How (G) could she (D) tell those (Em) children
That their (G) father (D) was shot (Em) down
So she (G) took them (D) to her (Em) side that day
And she (G) told them (D) one by (Em) one
Your (G) father (D) was a (Em) good man ten thousand (D) miles from (G) home (B7)
He (Am7) tried to do his (D) duty and it (G) took him straight to (Cmaj7) hell
He (Am7) might be in some (D) prison, I (G) hope he's treated (Cmaj7) well (Am7)
Well there was a young girl watching in the early afternoon
When she heard the name of someone who said he'd be home soon
And she wondered how they got him, but the papers did not tell
There would be no sweet reunion, there would be no wedding bells
So she took herself into her room and she turned the bed sheets down
And she cried into the silken folds of her new wedding gown
He tried to do his duty and it took him straight to hell
He might be in some prison, I hope he's treated well
Well there was an old man sitting in his mansion on the hill
And he thought of his good fortune and the time he'd yet o kill
Well he called to his wife one day, "Come sit with me awhile"
Then turning toward the sunset, he smiled a wicked smile
"Well I'd like to say I'm sorry for the sinful deeds I've done
But let me first remind you, I'm a patriotic son"
They tried to do their duty and it took 'em straight to hell
They might be in some prison, I hope they're treated well

The songs of the wars are as old as the hills
They cling like the rust on the cold steel that kills
They tell of the boys who went down to the tracks
In a patriotic manner with the cold steel on their backs
The train pulled away on that glorious night
The drummer got drunk and the bugler got tight
While the boys in the back sang a song of good cheer
While riding off to glory in the spring of their years
The patriot's dream still lives on today
It makes mothers weep and it makes lovers pray
Let's drink to the men who got caught by the chill
Of the patriotic fever and the cold steel that kills...

Too moving. I can't even read through it easily.

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 May 01 - 12:58 PM

Please also remember all the victims of the undeclared wars - terrorism (both home-grown and international). Especially those who weren't even serving their nation, but were in the wrong place at the time and got to die or be maimed anyway.

And I do thank the peace-time servers, WhistleStop! Just because you didn't have to commit war doesn't mean you weren't providing a valuable service!

Although I think that the point of MEMORIAL Day is to remember the FALLEN, not allthose who served... isn't a memorial by definition to the dead?

The songs of the wars are as old as the hills
They cling like the rust to the cold steel that kills
Let's drink to the men who got caught in the chill
Of a patriotic fever and the cold steel that kills...

... or something. Wish I could remember all the words to that one...

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: dwditty
Date: 23 May 01 - 12:57 PM

Your welcome. And thanks to you and the rest as well.

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 23 May 01 - 12:45 PM

Semper Paratus back at you, Kendall -- it's nice to know I'm not the only Coast Guard veteran lurking here. When and where did you serve?

My service was all peacetime (1977-81, 85-88), and all stateside, so while I appreciate the thanks offered on this thread, I think it should primarily go to those vets who served in times of crisis -- whether declared or not. I am as grateful to them as anyone.

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: Amergin
Date: 23 May 01 - 12:20 PM

Also a good time to be remembering those who served and have gone missing....lest they be forgotten.....click here

click here

click here

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: mousethief
Date: 23 May 01 - 12:16 PM

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all who have worked, fought, and died for my freedoms and those of the people -- and the country -- I love.

Alex

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 May 01 - 12:08 PM

11:11

Ah the glorious few are all the fewer here
In the cold November air
The crowd draws silent
Their collars raised
To the edges of the square
The children's choir sings "In Flander's Fields"
The band plays "Over There"
The old heroes still try to dress the line
As the chaplain reads the prayer

For the glorious few no longer stand so straight
As they did long years before
When they faced a hard and cruel fate
On a far and distant shore
Their tunics faded green and blue
Poor shelter from the cold
The memories made yet raw and new
At the calling of the roll

The heads are bowed in silence now
At the tolling of the hour
The first few falling flakes of snow
Drift gently on the flowers
All piled and stacked against the stones
Petals fluttering in the air
The eyes that stare down through the years
At the ones no longer there

The taste of lost and wasted years
So bitter on the tongue
White breath in clouds in the autumn cold
Frail chests with medals hung
In battle ribbons red and gold
In the pale November sun
The hands and faces grown so old
While the heart stays ever young

For the glorious few are all the fewer here
The old soldiers form the square
The wind blows hard and shakes the leaves
And stirs the thin white hair
Of these fading brave and fragile souls
As the bugler plays "Last Post"
The snow falls thick and faster still
And turns them white as ghosts

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 23 May 01 - 12:01 PM

Thanks for the link, late, and for the thread Norton. And thanks for reminding us that there's more to Memorial Day than picnics, the Indy 500, and a day off.

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: kendall
Date: 23 May 01 - 11:51 AM

Semper paratus.

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: late 'n short 2
Date: 23 May 01 - 11:31 AM

I haven't gone through it entirely but this looks like a good site for Memorial Day History

Dan

--- Link fixed. ---

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: MMario
Date: 23 May 01 - 11:30 AM

I don't know what the technicalities are - but growing up - my home town's Memorial Day services and activities always *did* include mention and remembrence of ALL who died for their countries - whether or not they were in a service. They would also include memorials to *all* those who died as a result of war.

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: UB Ed
Date: 23 May 01 - 10:59 AM

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day to remember those who have died in our nation's service. In 1971, it was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday in May.

Subject: RE: Thank you Veterans for your service,
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 May 01 - 10:55 AM

Remember those who died for their country whether serving it or not, also. Or is this holiday specific to the armed forces? I am curious, not intending anything derogatory.

Subject: Memorial Day
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 23 May 01 - 10:42 AM

Memorial Day

To all on this site who have honorably served their country - Thank You for your service. Remember those who have gone before and those who currently serve.

Semper Fidelis
Steve