A Memorial Day Reflection
Hot Air
by Ed Morrissey
Our family has been fortunate in service to our country. Many members of my family on both sides have served in the military during wartime, and all but one of them came back. The one who gave his life,…

And speaking of connections… Did you know that John Edward Morrissey shares his name with a scrappy salesman named John Edward Reagan…? Yes… You guessed it. The father of Ronaldus Maximus.

My Aunt, my Dad’s sister, served as a U.S. Army nurse during Desert Storm, and her daughter (my cousin) served in the U.S. Navy, as did her brother, who is now in the U.S. Air Force (got out of the Navy, went into the USAF).

I am proud of each and every one of them for their service.

“Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic.” ~John A. Logan…

All I can say is “Thank you for my Freedom…….”

No, special is somebody who signs up knowing we’re at war, goes to the war zone, finds a target and pulls the trigger. BAM! One less terrorist azzhole trying to kill my daughter and make my wife wear a burka.

It’s my pleasure to share these kind of stories with my friends at HotAir, although I should’ve specified that I was part of the Crew on this plane, it almost sounded like I was a passenger.

On this Memorial Day, I’d like to simply quote from the third stanza of “America, The Beautiful” written by Katharine Lee Bates.
……

I, for one, am thankful for all American troops, both past and present who have served this country. On March 31st, my father-in-law passed away. He was a Marine in the Pacific Theater during World War II and stationed in Guam. He didn’t like to talk about the experiences he had there. At his funeral a Marine honor guard presented my Mother-in-law with the flag that draped his coffin. It was an extremely moving ceremony. So this Memorial Day is a little more poignant for my wife and myself.

I hope you have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day. I invite you and your readers to my blog to see my Memorial Day tribute.

First, the White House spoke out against NBC News and its editing of Richard Engel’s interview with President George Bush.

And, today, the White House takes on the New York Times editorial page for its editorial, “Mr. Bush and the GI Bill.”

From the White House statement:

Once again, the New York Times Editorial Board doesn’t let the facts get in the way of expressing its vitriolic opinions – no matter how misleading they may be.

In today’s editorial, “Mr. Bush and the GI Bill”, the New York Times irresponsibly distorts President Bush’s strong commitment to strengthening and expanding support for America’s service members and their families.

This editorial could not be farther from the truth about the President’s record of leadership on this issue. In his January 2008 State of the Union Address, while proposing a series of initiatives to support our military families, President Bush specifically called upon Congress to answer service members’ request that they be able to transfer their GI Bill benefits to their spouses and children. In April, he sent a legislative package to the Hill that would expand access to childcare, create new authorities to appoint qualified spouses into civil service jobs, provide education opportunities and job training for military spouses, and allow our troops to transfer their unused education benefits to their spouses or children.

As Congress debates the best way to expand the existing GI Bill, Secretary Gates has laid out important guidelines to ensure that legislation meets our service members’ needs and rewards military service. First, since our servicemen and women have regularly requested the ability to transfer their GI bill benefits to their family members, legislation should include transferability. Second, legislation should provide greater rewards for continued military service in the all volunteer force.

There are several GI bill proposals under consideration in both the House and Senate. The Department of Defense has specific concerns about legislation sponsored by Senator Webb because it lacks transferability and could negatively impact military retention.

The President specifically supports the GI Bill legislation expansion proposed by Senators Graham, Burr, and McCain because it allows for the transferability of education benefits and calibrates an increase in education benefits to time in the service.

Though readers of the New York Times editorial page wouldn’t know it, President Bush looks forward to signing a GI bill that supports our troops and their families, and preserves the experience and skill of our forces.

Another Uncle was with Patton and spoke very highly of him and was proud to serve under him.

Memorial Day IS a time to rememer our war dead, and I’ve been out yesterday and today to cemetarys for family and they are FULL of people and flowers.

To all the fallen heroes, this is not a happy day, but a very solemn one in remembrance of who you were, what you did for country and world, and what could have been, were it not for your sacrifices. Also, it is a day to honor all which your families have given and suffered, so that we can be free, dumb and happy.

Tony737, thank you for the tears.

History of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day (Thanks to Dean Esmay) The Daily Brief: Reflections on the The Wall David J. Rusin at Pajamas Media: Most Likely To Succeed — and Serve, and Sacrifice WaPo: An Iron Procession of…

I live in a very small town, and wake every Memorial Day to the wisping of cars past my home as the local veterans assemble down the street in the heart of the town a little over a block away. I wake the kids and we make our way outside to hear the list of names read, watch the 21 gun salute and hear the latest high school talent emotionally play ‘Taps’. Then the vets, and locals alike pile into our cars for the pilgrimage to the local cemeteries to see the same thing unfold again.

It never gets old, and never fails to draw a tear or two.

God Bless those who’ve lived and died so that I can have yet another birthday in the greatest country on earth.

Better men then I’ll ever be.

“Do not mourn that such men died, but thank God that they lived.”
-Gen. G. Patton.

Amen profit.