It feels like a Sunday

[Bill in Oregon]

Although it is Saturday today, it feels like a Sunday. That's probably because I just returned home from hallowed ground --Fort Bayard National Cemetery, where volunteers laid a Christmas wreath on every grave. It was surprising how quickly just a few dozen of us could lay a wreath on each of more than 6,000 headstones, but we did -- in about 30 minutes -- a wreath for every life laid to rest here, row upon geometric row of white marble markers.
I confess I got emotional reading the names of those souls and the outfits they served in -- most of them from the Spanish-American War and World War I where I was working, some from as late as World War II and Korea, and as early as the Apache wars, for which Fort Bayard was built to protect the frontier.
As I laid each wreath with reverence and tried to tidy up the red velvet bow, I hoped someone was doing the same thing for my father's grave at Eagle Point National Cemetery back home in Oregon, and for my uncles and great uncles and great grandfathers on down wherever they rest.
I left the cemetery with a heart full of gratitude for those who have served and serve today.

[.45colt]

Thanks Bill, Got kind of smokey in here.......

[JimT]

Thank you Bill! Too many of our nation seem to pay no attention to the past and the people who helped us through difficult times.

[GunnyMack]

Bill, you are a MAN among men. Thank you for remembering, volunteering to warm the hearts of the fallen as they look from above.

[Ysabel Kid]

Thank you Bill!

[Ray]

Good job wilhelm.....

great grandpa william henry was a spanish-american war era veteran but missed the outbound train for the first leg of the convulated trip to central florida on account of a recalcitrant mule. his son-in-law, oscar lee mustered into the army for the great war but wound-up peeling spuds and washing pots/pans on account of vision and hearing impairments.

great grandpa herman cleveland had basic at camp mcclellan then on to trench warfare and field mess training at camp hancock, ga. but the spanish flu intervened.... oddly he was deemed a service disabled veteran and got both his $60 bonus and a $11 monthly recurring stipend for over a decade......his disability ? no, neither wounded nor gassed.....just being bivouaced on the coloured side of camp hancock during the flu quarantine was considered an inexcusable indignity at the time and incrementally netted him nigh-on two grand

[earlmck]

Dang fine job, Bill.

I see where we just added 3 more graves from an ambush in Syria. Good grief, what are we doing still in blipping Syria? Oh yes-- protecting Israel.

Being an old 'Nam vet I don't have much room for whimpering, with my "service" being used to fight against Democracy and to further profits of the Defense Industry, but still...

I am surely tired of the Uniparty's "Israel First" policy. Gonna' cost the Repubs considerable in the coming election, which unfortunately puts even stupider folks back in power. When do us Americans get some consideration? -- Oh yeah, I guess we get attention once a year after we die if we go to a military cemetery from good folks such as brother Bill. So thanks again Bill: it is good to reflect.

[Bill in Oregon]

And thank you Earl. Your service is appreciated, as is that of so many others on this forum.
One of the things that troubles me about the national cemeteries is all those veterans who are NOT buried in one of them, and who go largely or completely forgotten on our commemoration days.
Back on Nov. 11, I mentioned a great uncle with Company A, 342nd Machine Gun Battalion, 89th Division, AEF, who was gassed in France in August of 1918 and wounded by German shrapnel hours before the Armistice was signed. His simple grave in Denver makes no notice of his service even though he died from complications of his war injuries. This bothers me enough that I may drive up to Denver next Memorial Day and set matters straight.

[Old No7]

Thank you Bill! Well done!

Old No7

[Oldncrusty]

Big-time thanks! One of my weaknesses is exploring backwoods graveyards. It is amazing how much one can learn just from reading headstones. Here's a few forgotten vets I have ran across.

[piller]

Great job, Bill.

[earlmck]

Well I know us vets could choose to rest alongside a bunch of others of the same, but my choice is for my ashes to go off the same cliff we scattered the wife's ashes a few years ago. Be a pretty good hike involved in trying to place a flag over my "grave" on Memorial Day. Lotta' vets have made similar choices: family before buddies, for those of us fortunate enough to be able to have that choice.

And as far as "thanks for your service" -- I am sure Bill that your actions to honor the old vets were far closer to a true service for the American citizen than my "service" in the Deep State's effort to keep a bunch of Vietnamese folks from making their own choices in their own country. Yes, I fully realize we kids didn't know that at the time. But now we do. I believe that is why so many of us old 'Nam vets wince at the words "thank you for your service". And Iraq-attack vets and Asscrakistan vets I understand in talking with my son.