Memorial Day is the day that we honor our military veterans who laid down their lives for our nation.

[imanamerican63]

They are not “sucker and losers” like one said by a draft dodger who avoided the military by lying his way out of fighting for the very same freedoms he has today.

Thus, these men and women never wavered from harm. They left families behind to protect their own country without hesitation or fear.

I salute each of them for their courage, sacrifice and dedication to serve as the bravest people that ever existed. Unfortunately they paid the ultimate price for our freedom and that mustn’t be forgotten.

These people who fought to protect our freedom are the most important part of what this country is. Unlike the one person whom we know, they are not cowards like him.

So, I will not mention that coward’s name today and will honor those military personnel that live on in our memories.

[Emile]

1. Salute

[no_hypocrisy]

2. They gave up their lives for more than their country.

They gave their lives for principles of freedom.

For their unit and commander.

For their comrades.

For their communities.

For their families.

For their children.

Being afraid of death, yet rushing into the morass and eternity.

One day a year seems insufficient.

[dedl67]

3. Arlington National Cemetery is where my grandfather is laid.

Soldier in WWI. JAG Colonel in WWII. Not a sucker or loser.

[Emile]

4. Today is the day to reflect upon the sacrifices service members gave to their country.

Today I will travel to our nearby National Cemetery to visit my father and brother.

[KS Toronado]

5. Today's Condensed News Cartoons

is dedicated to Memorial Day......

https://democraticunderground.com/100221259366

[ITAL]

6. When

When I have gone into the dark
I know quite well how they will mark
The muddy hole which I must lie,
A wooden cross and set thereby
In case the weather leaves it blank,
A bottled tag with my name and rank.

And yet I'm fool enough to pray
That one may dig me up some day
And box and ship me back again
To the golden land of little rain;
To the silver sage and turquoise sky,
To the far off hills that look close by --

And raise a stone above my head
The way they should when a fellow's dead,
With my name and age and place I died
And perhaps a line or two beside.
Not pious lies but just the truth:

'Here lies a cup that the wine of youth
Filled up once to the very brim.
Its owner clinked it rim to rim
With the cups of all the folks about
And never cared if a bit spilled out.
Till, just when he had had a taste
And knew the cup was too good to waste,
Big trouble started in the place
And he flung the wine into the bully's face,
Cup and all, the wine was lost
The cup was broken. He knew the cost;
And with legs still steady and eyes still bright
He walked from the tavern into the night.'

And the boys I knew will turn aside
Perhaps as much as a half day's ride.
To pass the point where the stone is set,
For they aren't the sort that will forget.

----- Ralph Linton

Linton served in the Rainbow Division in the First World War and would later become a writer and anthropologist. There was a ton of poetry from The Great War, much of it forgotten. I came across this one a few years ago and I'd like to try and bring this one back. To me it perfectly captures Memorial Day.

[Bobstandard]

7. My Dad's interred at Punchbowl National Cemetery

USAF, WWII, Korea, Vietnam

[ITAL]

8. Just visited there last year

Not sure how many do when they're in Hawaii (it wasn't particularly busy the day we were there), but my wife and I made a point to.

[Bobstandard]

9. On Memorial Day every grave gets an American flag

On other days only the graves of Medal of Honor recipients get flags. It always amazes me how many graves are flagged every day.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Honor and Remember