To our American neighbors and friends

[knottybuoyz]

be happy and safe on the water during this holiday weekend. Take a minute to remember the reason for this holiday and remember those who've serverd and are serving the cause of peace around the world.

[Alan Wheeler]

Ya know, that picture pretty well sums up the day I have had.

[donw_s11]

Thanks for the excellent thoughts on the true meaning of _Memorial Day_.

Here is my heartfelt salute to all those from Australia and New Zealand who fought the Japanese along with the US and the Brits, and especially to the amazingly courageous coast watchers who risked beheading and worse to provide badly needed intelligence on Japanese movements during the darkest days of WWII.

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. But we have mostly forgotten haven't we...

Don W.

[Starbuck]

Our Memorial Day is big enough to accomodate our fallen allies.

Thanks for the thought, Rick.

And Don, many here believe there are still things worth fighting for.

Please, everyone: don't ruin this sentiment with political debate.

[mudnut]

See it as you will,

We grieve for the loss of loved one's,no matter how they die.But "fighting and for peace" in the same sentence,is an oxymoron!Sadly humans can not negate that fact.Fighting for survival or because you are attacked sould never be confussed with "for peace".Unless of course it's for one's own piece of mind.Less we forget.Mudnut.

[GordMay]

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states.
The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I,when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by mudnut

See it as you will,

We grieve for the loss of loved one's,no matter how they die.But "fighting and for peace" in the same sentence,is an oxymoron!Sadly humans can not negate that fact.Fighting for survival or because you are attacked sould never be confussed with "for peace".Unless of course it's for one's own piece of mind.Less we forget.Mudnut.

When your attacked by people who don't believe in PEACE. Then you HAVE TO FIGHT for PEACE!!!

Is that so hard to comprehend?

[Alan Wheeler]

Please, everyone: don't ruin this sentiment with political debate.

I second that.

[CaptainK]

Yes.

On the Pacific front.

We had the Australians and the New Zealanders helping America fight the Japanese.

As well as the Filipinos and the Chinese as well. We can not forget them as well.

On the European front.

We had Britian & Canada. As well as the French fighting alongside the Americans. As well as the Polish.

On the German's eastern front, were the Russians.

[DeepFrz]

And as it seems many here don't know, we had many British and Canadian soldiers who were killed or captured by the Japanese when Hong Kong fell.