WHILE YOUR EATING AND DRINKING THIS WEEKEND....

[koiguy1969]

PLEASE REMEMBER WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT....

 

[pecan]

Thanks for posting this! I find it very important to remember our vets on Memorial Day since without them none of the wonderful life I live would be possible. Each year on Memorial day my husband and I pick up flowers and take them to local cemetery's looking for vet grave markers who have nothing on their graves. This year we will be going to the veterans cemetery at Camp Williams for their Memorial Day ceremony. Our daughter and son in law will be in town from KC and plan on going with us. Our son in law is a former Marine and my husband is a retired Gunny USMC. We are lucky to have them with us.

Thank you to all the men and women who have served and are serving to protect our way of life, I lift my glass to you and a moment of silence for those who will never return.

 

[j.w]

Everyone should at least take a minute and bow your head in silence for all those brave men and women who have served our country and some gave it all so we could remain free

 

[koiguy1969]

after all...

 

[JohnHuff]

Yes, thank you for your post and the reminder. For too many people, MD is just another day for a pig out...

 

[icsd71]

Good post. I am thankful for my way of life and owe it to all that have served and payed the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you.

 

[ididntdoit99]

Hopefully, I will spend part of my memorial day welcoming home a soldier by riding to the airport with the Patriot Guard Riders, his wife has requested our help to welcome him home. I really hope the weather allows me to make the trip, as it will be the first event I have participated in.

 

[j.w]

I hope you get to go 99! What a nice way to celebrate and honor one of our soldiers

 

[j.w]

I get a newsletter from Kim Komando (computer guru) each day and thought I'd share this with you all:

Free resources for military records online

5/26/2012

Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to the fun cookouts and sales that Memorial Day promises. However, it's important not to lose sight of the real reason for Memorial Day.
Millions of Americans have given their lives to uphold what makes this country great. This weekend is about honoring our heroes in uniform that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.
Take a minute to learn more about the members of your family who served. The National Archives offers many amazing resources to learn about our armed forces.
The Archives' site allows you to request a family member's service records. You can use its Web form or download and print the necessary documents. These are usually used to request veterans' benefits, but are a fantastic way to memorialize a veteran in your family.
The records facility did experience a massive fire a few decades ago - it lost thousands of records. So it might take a while to piece together the documents you want.
It also could be a little difficult to find the exact documents you need. Luckily, the site gives you useful tips and walkthroughs on how to search.
Medals are a symbol of pride and honor in our military. Sadly, these can be lost or begin to show their age over time. The National Archives will send you new medals to commemorate your loved one's service.
For veterans themselves and next-of-kin, medals are issued at no charge. Army and Air Force veterans can request medals online, but Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard veterans will need to mail the request to the Archives.
Even if you don't have a loved one who served, you can still research the databases. I got lost browsing through all the breathtaking photos from World War II. Take some time to look through them yourself.
Order service records online: www.archives.gov/veterans/
Replacement medals: http://www.archives....ace-medals.html
Military Research: http://www.archives....ans/online.html

 

[pecan]

J.W., I want to thank you for posting that. My father passed away in a plane crash (he was the pilot of a small Cessna) on Christmas day 1977. I was only 6 months old. My mom left when I was 15 and I never got much information about my dad. I know he was in the Navy in Vietnam and had heard rumors he was on those river boats but don't know anything else for sure. I have always wanted his service records to find out some information. Before my husband retired from the Marine Corps he picked me up a DD 214 form to request records, but it required my fathers death certificate which I do not have and hadn't ordered since it takes months to a year to get those records from CA (I know it took me 6 months to get my birth cert from them). So I hadn't completed the process. But with your links above I was able to complete an online version of the DD 214 without requiring a death cert. I will mail my signature verification in on Tuesday and should have the records within a few months.

Thank you again J.W., this really means a lot to me.

 

[pecan]

 

[j.w]

Well that's great that you were able to put the links in that letter to use Pecan. God works in mysterious ways and today he must have wanted you to have access to those files. Hope you get the info you are looking for soon