As We Remember Our Heroes This Memorial Day, Let’s Also Remember How Precious And Fragile Liberty Is

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by XXJefferson#51, May 28, 2018.

  1. XXJefferson#51

    XXJefferson#51 Banned

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    “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.” – Patrick Henry

    “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”– Benjamin Franklin
    In May 1942, with the U.S. Pacific fleet down to just three carriers after heavy losses incurred at the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the USS Wasp, after having distinguished itself in the Atlantic war, embarked to fight the Japanese in the Pacific.

    After a hard fight at Guadalcanal, three Japanese torpedoes hit the Wasp head-on. Fires spread quickly thanks to the incredible amount of oil and gas released from the tanks by the direct hits, and it wasn’t long before the ship’s fate was sealed. My grandfather, Harding Morefield, was forced to jump into the ocean after his hair caught on fire. When the ship’s captain, Forrest P. Sherman, ordered the abandon ship, the only delays were caused by the crewmen who didn’t want to leave until every single wounded soldier was brought to safety.

    When the foundering, desperate Germans cut through the Ardennes to surprise American forces in December 1944 with what would be their last major offensive of the war, my wife’s grandfather, a young infantryman named George, was shot in the leg. Because the units in the area were caught by almost complete surprise, George languished in the snow for 12 hours before being rescued. He lost his leg in the battle, but 19,000 other Americans lost their lives.

    There are millions of stories like this, interwoven throughout the histories of millions of American families. Most of us have ancestors who were willing to fight and die for something they saw as bigger than themselves, a nation where they, their families and their descendants could live in freedom. From the patriots who risked their lives and sacred honor to found a new country based on liberty and justice to today’s brave soldiers who willingly sign up to fight an enemy that doesn’t always even wear a uniform or adhere to the laws of war, courage and sacrifice are what founded our nation and made it great.

    Our grandparents were heroes to us, of course, and in many ways today’s pampered generation can barely imagine the sacrifices they endured. My wife’s grandfather who lost his leg was said to have never complained about his situation, at least within earshot of his family. To them, he would have gladly given his other leg for his country.

    But they, along with most everyone who survived the horrors of war, would never tell you they were heroes. No, they’d probably say they were lucky, because to them it didn’t seem like there was any real rhyme or reason to those who got to go home and those who got buried on a European battlefield or dumped into the Pacific ocean, or even those who left a leg in some makeshift military hospital in Belgium. To them, the real heroes were the ones who gave all they had to give in places like Khe San and Hamburger Hill, Normandy and Bastogne, Belleau Wood and Flanders, Manassas and Gettysburg, Bunker Hill and Yorktown.

    Crosses in their honor are planted in fields all across Europe, and in Lee’s old farm in Virginia, their lives cut off in the flower of their youth, their deaths mourned by family members who would never see them again.

    The real heroes - they would say - never came home.

    American industrialist Henning Webb Prentis Jr. once described the historical cycle as, “from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to apathy, from apathy to dependency; and from dependency back to bondage once more.”

    This Memorial Day weekend we should certainly remember our slain heroes, but we should also consider whether our fragile, dependent generation has the same mettle as our ancestors. Because if not, and if Prentis is correct, we’re about to enter a period of bondage unlike any mankind has experienced.

    As we enjoy an extra day off work and fire up the barbecue, may we not only remember the heroes who gave everything so we could live in a country founded upon and defined by liberty, may we also acknowledge just how precious and easily lost that liberty is. https://townhall.com/columnists/sco...-how-precious-and-fragile-liberty-is-n2484955 Let’s remember the meaning of today, Mwemorial day. God bless the memory of those who died so we could be free. God Bless America .
     
  2. XXJefferson#51

    XXJefferson#51 Banned

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    We honor today the memory of all those who made the supreme sacrifice so that we can be free here today.
     
  3. Woogs

    Woogs Well-Known Member

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    Or, as Donald Trump put it ....

    "Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!

    Happy Memorial Day?.... really ... happy?

    Has any president ever used that word in describing Memorial Day? Has any president ever blew his own horn like this on such an occasion?

    Happy Memorial Day. Nice.
     
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  4. XXJefferson#51

    XXJefferson#51 Banned

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    To each their own. Let everyone commemorate what is being recognized today in their own way. Let’s keep current events politics off of this one seed today.
     
  5. Texas Republican

    Texas Republican Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    It was funny watching cable news all day today (yes, I have no life).

    Fox News spent the whole day talking about the holiday, honoring the troops that died, etc. Maybe a bit excessive, but it was very nice.

    MSNBC spent the whole day with panel discussions about how much trouble Trump is in and the possibilities of impeachment.

    It's amazing how two sets of relatively rational humans can behave so differently.
     
  6. XXJefferson#51

    XXJefferson#51 Banned

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    The progressive left msm has no shame.
     
  7. Woogs

    Woogs Well-Known Member

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    "Current event politics", my eye.

    I've never heard anyone use the word "happy" in relation to Memorial Day. It's an affront to all those that have sacrificed, many giving the last full measure.

    Now we get the guy responsible for potentially sending more into battle saying those that made the ultimate sacrifice would be happy over unemployment numbers???

    Of course it's relevant what our Commander in Chief has to say on such an occassion and our current one came off as the village idiot.
     
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  8. Spooky

    Spooky Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I'm sorry, did he make them sign up?

    I missed that part of our all volunteer army.

    Everyone makes soldiers who die, out to be these glamourous heroes but war isn't that. It's business, its politics, sometimes you defend your country (usually not) and these guys sign up to maybe be shot at.

    Its a risky job which they choose to do.

    And let's face it, most of these people sign up because of the perks they get, not for anything to do for country.

    More power to them if that's what they choose to do but I'm not going to fall to my knees and worship you for making a choice.
     
    Last edited: May 28, 2018
  9. Woogs

    Woogs Well-Known Member

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    Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember all those who sacrificed, not just those who chose to enlist once the draft ended.

    Or did you think we never had a draft? There were draft riots in New York in 1863 ....
     
    Last edited: May 28, 2018
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  10. Spooky

    Spooky Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I certainly will bow to those who were drafted by our nation and showed up to defend it.

    Absolutely.

    The others, while I do admire what they choose to do, don't get the same level of respect.

    Let me put that in perspective.

    I admire the cop who dies defending me from the burglar in my house trying to rape me.

    I also admire the other cops who do their duty everyday but not as much as the one who died for ME.
     
  11. Woogs

    Woogs Well-Known Member

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    Memorial Day is not a day to split hairs. It's for all who sacrificed. I get what you're saying to a degree, but this day is not one for drawing those distinctions.
     
  12. Spooky

    Spooky Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Its a political forum.

    If people aren't looking for discussion they should be posting on a veteran site.
     
  13. Woogs

    Woogs Well-Known Member

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    It's a Memorial Day thread.

    If picking and choosing which dead veterans are more worthy of respect is your idea of relevant discussion on Memorial Day, then feel free to have that one by yourself.
     
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  14. kriman

    kriman Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I am not sure why I signed up. The "perks" was not one of them. When you are that young, retirement and health care is not a consideration. I am not sure what else would be called a perk.

    Our family did look favorable towards the military and that might have had something to do with joining. Certainly they were proud of me. $222/month plus about $110/month for subsistence and quarters as a second lieutenant was not much of an incentive even back in 1959 for a BS in Engineering.

    I never regretted it except shortly after the Vietnam War when the quality of the people entering the military went down. .
     
  15. Steady Pie

    Steady Pie Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    In Australia we have ANZAC Day for our fallen heroes, and it is completely non-partisan. Anyone trying to politicise it is run out of town. A leftist commentator made a rude comment and had to run to London the public outcry was so loud.

    These days are a time for ALL citizens to come together though party lines and remember our heroes as one, united.
     
  16. For Topical Use Only

    For Topical Use Only Well-Known Member

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  17. Moi621

    Moi621 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    What a shame our heroes today are betrayed
    by the West's leadership.

    Vietnam and after.
    Only Kuwait and Grenada seem worthy and I question Grenada.

    Heroes created not for national defense but in wasteful use of our military.
    I mean Osama bin Ladin is still, dead.
    Why are we still creating heroes in Afghanistan. And all those other places today.


    Moi :oldman:
    War We Must!
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2018
  18. kriman

    kriman Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I am still waiting to hear about all those "perks". Somehow, I missed out on them.
     
  19. TomFitz

    TomFitz Well-Known Member

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    Something to think about as we watch the vulgar man child in the White House squander American power and weaken the influence of the US President.

    I doubt that my late father would have been please to know that he went over the side at Omaha Beach in order to see the legacy of Roosevelt and Churchill casually and carelessly betrayed by this fool.
     
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  20. TomFitz

    TomFitz Well-Known Member

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    All of these things are true. Which does not deminish patriotism or sacrifice.

    Patriotism is a good thing. Service and sacrifice are as well.

    What we need to understand is that not all our causes have been right or noble, learn from our mistakes, be realistic and never ask any man or woman in the US to serve or sacrifice for a mistake.
     
  21. FoxHastings

    FoxHastings Well-Known Member

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    :) I believe it was YOU who said in post #4:

    """To each their own. Let everyone commemorate what is being recognized today in their own way. Let’s keep current events politics off of this one seed today.""
     
  22. waltky

    waltky Well-Known Member

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    Vietnam Gunnery Sergeant to finally get long overdue MoH...
    [​IMG]
    Trump to Award Medal of Honor to Marine for Hue City Heroism
    19 Jul 2018 - A retired sergeant major credited with saving scores of troops during a Vietnam War's battle will receive the Medal of Honor.
     
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