PERSHING TO BE DIMINISHED IN NEW WWI MONUMENT BECAUSE AMERICA HAS ‘MOVED AWAY’ FROM ‘GREAT MAN’ MEMORIALS

World War I has received increased attention since its centennial commemoration in 2014, and that attention has led to a push for the Great War to finally have a proper memorial in Washington D.C.

The WWI Centennial Commission is accepting design submissions until July 21, and they hope the project will be completed by the centennial of the WWI’s end on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2018.

The memorial is slated for construction in the oft-overlooked Pershing Park at 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, which makes it more than unfortunate that the Commission has already decided to shove Gen. John Pershing aside in their plans.

According to the Washington Post, the vice chairman of the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission Edwin L. Fountain said that the new memorial would include the 35-year-old statue of Pershing that is currently at the site, but that it would definitely not be the centerpiece.

Fountain said tellingly, “The memorial as it stands now, the focus obviously is on Gen. Pershing. And with all due respect to him, we’ve moved away from the ‘great man’ approach to war memorials.”

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Honor Thy Fallen: A Memorial Day Tribute

Memorial Day 2015, Lest We Forget

The easiest way to pay a debt of gratitude is with respect and commemoration. On Memorial Day, remember to pause for a minute of silent honor at 3 PM, local time.

Memorial Day is still officially known as Decoration Day. It is a day to remember those who have died in all of our wars. There are many commemorations across America and in our territories. Do most Americans really know and act appropriately on Memorial Day — or has it just become the unofficial start of summer?

One man, Paul Monti, father of SFC Jared Monti, the first recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroism in Afghanistan demonstrates yearly his devotion to the day’s true meaning. After a four-year battle to decorate the bare graves on this day of commemoration, Mr. Monti will with the help of many patriotic Americans place over 62,000 flags at the National Veterans Cemetery in Bourne, Massachusetts.

A. Lawrence Vaincourt, a Canadian veteran and poet penned “Just A Common Soldier,” often called A Soldier Died Today. It is a worthy read on any day, but especially on Memorial Day.

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Armed Forces Medley: 2014 National Memorial Day Concert

A Viewers Writes: 5-25-15

Today being Memorial Day I would like to mention something, going out to Wicomico Cemetery this morning my husband and we spotted three young people in fatigues putting flags on the graves of veterans, after speaking to them we realized they were members of the ROTC who took the time to visit the graves of our soldiers salute and say prayers and honor our service men. Just hope everyone today remembers the sacrifices made for our country, and appreciate the ROTC for the fine work and lives they exemplify.

One thing veterans want you to know about Memorial Day

Do not thank me for my service because today is not about me at all.

That's what a number of fellow military veterans said, when I asked what they wanted people to know about Memorial Day.

"It's not about us," said Staff Sgt. Jay Arnold, a soldier with the Illinois Army National Guard. "It's about those who went before us."

While often seen as just a day off work or great time to barbeque, Memorial Day — not to be confused with Veterans Day — is a day of remembrance for approximately 1 million men and women who have died in defense of the United States since 1775.

"Memorial Day isn't about romanticizing war or worshiping military veterans. It's a day to recognize personal sacrifices of veterans and active military alike, regardless of their inclinations toward war," said Tech Sgt. Bill Monahan, an airman serving at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. "Too often today, ones political beliefs skew opinions on what constitutes honorable service so it is important to have a day where we can look back at who laid it all on the line."

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SPD Press Release 5-25-15 (Armed Robbery Investigation - Family Dollar)

SPD Press Release 5-25-15 (Armed Robbery Investigation - Hancock Fabrics)

Memorial Day Speech by President Ronald Reagan

Lost trees to honor WWI soldiers found in Queens

Dozens of tall, majestic oak trees were planted in Forest Park almost 100 years ago — each for a fallen son of Woodhaven. For the first time in decades, more than 50 of the trees were festooned with red, white and blue ribbons for Memorial Day.

“The families of the fallen soldiers used to mourn at those trees,” said Edward Wendell of the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society, who did months of research after seeing the memorial mentioned in old newspaper clippings.

“We have an obligation to keep alive the memories of those lost in war,” said John Lawless, vice commander of American Legion Post 118. “Ed gave us a part of our history back that we had forgotten about.”

Source

Memorial Day: Why We Remember

Governor Larry Hogan And Secretary Holt Announce Second Phase Of “You’ve Earned It!” Initiative For Veterans And Military Families

Offers Special Rate, Down-Payment Assistance To Promote Home Buying

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan and Secretary Kenneth Holt today announced a $20 million initiative that will give a boost to veterans and military families who are looking to buy a home in one of Maryland’s 86 Sustainable Communities. The “You’ve Earned It!” initiative for veterans and military families offers low mortgage rates and significant down-payment assistance for active military and those honorably discharged veterans and veterans with a disability. The first phase of “You’ve Earned It!” – aimed at qualified homebuyers with more than $25,000 in student loan debt – was announced May 4.

“I am very proud of this new initiative, which helps our brave men and women in uniform and their families to achieve the American dream of homeownership and establish roots here in Maryland,” said Governor Hogan. “The program is not only good for our economy, but good for our communities.”

Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Kenneth Holt added, “Owning a home helps families create a financial legacy for their children; it stabilizes and brings economic investment into the state’s communities, and it puts the power of the housing market to work to revitalize Maryland’s economy. We are pleased to offer this program to members of our military and recognize all they do to keep our communities safe and stable in these times.”

Through the “You’ve Earned It!” initiative, the Maryland Mortgage Program is offering a 2.75 percent fixed-rate, 30-year mortgage and $10,000 in down-payment assistance to active duty military, including Reserves and National Guard, as well as honorably discharged veterans and honorably discharged disabled veterans. The “You’ve Earned It!” initiative is for a limited time until the $20 million allocation is exhausted.

“We named this program 'You’ve Earned It!' for a very good reason,” said Secretary Holt. “Through this program, we are opening the door to homeownership for families who have earned it, while stimulating our housing market and changing Maryland’s economy for the better.”

Maryland’s Sustainable Communities program seeks to strengthen reinvestment and revitalization in the state’s older communities through state, local and private sector partnerships. There is at least one designated Sustainable Community in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. A list of Maryland’s Sustainable Communities can be found athttp://www.mdhousing.org/website/programs/dn/communities.aspx.

A property address in a sustainable community can be identified and confirmed by the map in the following link:http://www.bit.ly/dhcd_scmap.

For information about the Maryland Mortgage Program, as well as other loan specials, participating lenders and homeownership counselors in your area, visit: http://mmp.maryland.gov.

Memorial Day Is Much More Than a Day Off

The general who apologized to the dead soldiers on Memorial Day

American military commander General Lucian Truscott Jr. (1895-1965), France, 1944. This photo was used on the cover of the October 2, 1944, issue of Life magazine.

Editors Note: Nicolaus Mills is professor of American studies at Sarah Lawrence College. His most recent book is "Every Army Man Is with You: The Cadets Who Won the 1964 Army-Navy Game, Fought in Vietnam, and Came Home Forever Changed." The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) Memorial Day 1945 was a somber time for most Americans, and 70 years later it still carries with it a special poignancy. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had been dead just over a month, and while the war in Europe had concluded, it was too early to begin celebrating victory over the Axis powers. The fighting in the Pacific, where the battle for Okinawa had begun in April and would last through most of June, was still taking a heavy toll.

President Harry Truman, who was working on a speech for the final session of the United Nations conference in San Francisco, marked the day by sending a wreath to Hyde Park for the grave of President Roosevelt and another to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

At Normandy, following a brief military ceremony, work continued on the cemetery above the beaches where Allied troops had landed on D-Day. The paths between the blocks of graves were still uncompleted, and much of the labor on the new cemetery was now being done by German prisoners of war.

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We Will Not Pass This Way Again by Craig Bickhardt (Memorial Day Tribute)

Your tributes to vets

This Memorial Day, CNN is honoring the men and women who died serving their country. Share your photos, stories and memories of the veterans you've lost by posting on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #CNNRemembers.

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psalm 23 Memorial day tribute

Get it straight: The difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day

(CNN) We are here to make sure you don't embarrass yourself.

Inevitably, someone says something demonstrating confusion over the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Allow us to explain it to you.

Memorial Day: Celebrated the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is the holiday set aside to pay tribute to those who died serving in the military.

The website for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs recounts the start of Memorial Day this way:

"Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans -- the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) -- established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country."

The passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 by Congress made it an official holiday.

Veterans Day: This federal holiday falls on November 11 and is designated as a day to honor all who have served in the military. According to Military.com, Veterans Day began as Armistice Day to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918.

"In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress -- at the urging of the veterans service organizations -- amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans," the site says. "With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars."

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Sad military video

Remembering the meaning of Memorial Day

It is Memorial Day 2015. In cemeteries across the country flags flutter, flowers grace the graves of the departed, and bugles sound the mournful notes of Taps. The crowds paying tribute, however, have grown sparse.

Begun as a way to honor Civil War dead, the commemoration was long called Decoration Day from the practice of decorating graves. The observance was held on May 30 no matter the day of the week. Since 1971, Memorial Day has been observed on the last Monday in May as the end of a federally mandated three-day weekend. Now firmly ingrained as the traditional start of the summer season, the solemn reasons behind the day have faded despite the continuing sacrifices of so many.

Seventy years ago, it was very different. Memorial Day 1945 marked an uneasy time of mixed emotions. There was celebration, remembrance, and dread. World War II in Europe was over by three weeks and no more battle casualties would join the rows of crosses planted from North Africa to the beaches of Normandy and across France into Germany. But the war in the Pacific still raged. Many Americans who had fought in Europe feared they would be going to the other side of the globe to continue the fight against Japan rather than back to the States for a victorious homecoming.

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Best Memorial Day Speech Ever!!!!

Memorial Day Is A Hoax

War is just a racket... It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses

Memorial Day commemorates soldiers killed in war. We are told that the war dead died for us and our freedom. US Marine General Smedley Butler challenged this view. He said that our soldiers died for the profits of the bankers, Wall Street, Standard Oil, and the United Fruit Company. Here is an excerpt from a speech that he gave in 1933:

War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.

I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we’ll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.

I wouldn’t go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.

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Memorial Day Tribute

America's Oldest Veteran, Is a Favorite Among Politicians

To hear Richard Overton tell it, he never thought he "would be that important."

Born in Bastrop County, Texas, in 1906, by the time Overton celebrated his 109th birthday on May 11 of this year, he had already gotten used to his celebrity as America's oldest living combat veteran.

Having served in the Pacific theater during World War II from 1942 to 1945, Overton was part of the all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion, fighting in places like Iwo Jima and Okinawa. While he saw his share of enemy fire, he says "didn't get a scratch," and left the service after attaining the rank of Sergeant. While his role in the war has brought him fame, the memories of battle have been a burden.

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Congressman Allen West Memorial Day Observance

A Time to Remember : Final Inspection

THE FINAL INSPECTION 

The Soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, Soldier, 
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?'
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'no, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays, 
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills just got too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord, 
It needn't be so grand. 
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you Soldier, 
You've borne your burdens well.

Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, 
You've done your time in Hell.'

~Author Unknown~

MSP DUI LOG 5-18-15 thru 5-24-15 (Berlin Barrack)

ANONYMOUS THREAT TO AVIATION RECEIVED - FBI IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED

(McHenry, MD) -- An anonymous call threatening commercial aviation was received at a Maryland State Police barrack earlier this morning and the information was immediately forwarded to the FBI and the state's fusion center.

Shortly after 6:30 a.m. today, an anonymous call was received by a police communications operator at the Maryland State Police McHenry Barrack, in Garrett County. The caller made a bomb threat involving commercial aviation. Officials at the FBI and the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center, the state's fusion center, were immediately notified about the call.

Due to the ongoing FBI investigation, no further information is available from the Maryland State Police at this time. Authority of the FBI, all additional questions should be directed to the Baltimore office of the FBI at 410-265-8080.

Speakers inspire community to remember true meaning of Memorial Day

Actress Anne Meara, Mom of Ben Stiller, Dies at 85

Anne Meara, the loopy, lovable comedian who launched a standup career with husband Jerry Stiller in the 1950s and found success as an actress in films, on TV and the stage, has died.

Jerry Stiller and son Ben Stiller say Meara died Saturday. No other details were provided.

The Stiller family released a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday describing Jerry Stiller as Meara's "husband and partner in life."

"The two were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long," the statement said.

Born in Brooklyn on Sept. 20, 1929, she was a red-haired, Irish-Catholic girl who struck a vivid contrast to Stiller, a Jewish guy from Manhattan's Lower East Side who was two years older and four inches shorter.

As Stiller and Meara, they appeared in comedy routines that joked about married life and their respective ethnic backgrounds. They logged 36 appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and were a successful team in Las Vegas, major nightclubs, on records and in commercials (scoring big for Blue Nun wine with their sketches on radio).

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We Will Never Forget | MEMORIAL DAY

Statement From Governor Larry Hogan On Memorial Day

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today released the following statement:

“As we spend today with family and friends, it is important we take time to remember those members of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. It is because of their selfless commitment that the freedoms we hold so dear have been preserved and defended countless times since the founding of our great nation.

“The first lady and I want to thank all members of the military, both past and present, and their families for their sacrifice, service, and dedication."

SPD: Memorial Day Ceremony

#MemorialDay screening getting underway @ Wicomico Civic center http://t.co/c5gOK6UdDs

Posted by Salisbury Police Department on Monday, May 25, 2015

The Meaning of Memorial Day - "Freedom is Never Free" - A Vietnam Veteran's Tribute

The Day President Bush's Tears Spilled Onto A Marine's Face At Walter Reed

[Editor's note: The following column is excerpted from Fox News anchor and political analyst Dana Perino's new book, "And the Good News Is... Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side" ] 

News of America’s military men and women [who] were wounded and killed in Iraq and Afghanistan almost overwhelmed me on some days. I may have sounded strong when I was talking to the press, but sometimes I had to push my feelings way down in order to get any words out of my mouth to make statements and answer questions. 

The hardest days were when President Bush went to visit the wounded or families of the fallen. If it was tough for me, you can only imagine what it was like for the families and for a president who knew that his decisions led his troops into battles where they fought valiantly but were severely injured or lost their lives. 

He regularly visited patients at Walter Reed military hospital near the White House. These stops were unannounced because of security concerns and hassles for the hospital staff that come with a full blown presidential visit. 

One morning in 2005, Scott McClellan sent me in his place to visit the wounded warriors. It was my first time for that particular assignment, and I was nervous about how the visits would go. 

The president was scheduled to see 25 patients at Walter Reed. Many of them had traumatic brain injuries and were in very serious, sometimes critical, condition. Despite getting the best treatment available in the world, we knew that some would not survive. 

We started in the intensive care unit. The chief of naval operations (CNO) briefed the president on our way into the hospital about the first patient we’d see. He was a young Marine who had been injured when his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. After his rescue, he was flown to Landstuhl U.S. Air Force Base in Kaiserslautern, Germany. At his bedside were his parents, wife, and five-year-old son. 

“What’s his prognosis?” the president asked. 

“Well, we don’t know sir, because he’s not opened his eyes since he arrived, so we haven’t been able to communicate with him. But no matter what, Mr. President, he has a long road ahead of him,” said the CNO. 

Read More Here

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Oh Deer!

Holiday weekends are always best when your Grandchildren arrive and are happiest with the things that don't cost a penny. Take this old concrete deer for example. No coin slot, no up and down movement. Just a statue strong enough to hold a child, PRICELESS. 

Enjoy your Memorial Day and collect those memories like there's no tomorrow. 

FATAL- Motor Vehicle Collision- 5/25/2015

Type of Incident: Motor Vehicle Collision - Fatal

Date and Time: 05/25/2015 at approximately 0341 hrs

Location: W/B MD RT 90 RAMP EAST AT W/B US RT 50, Worcester County, MD

Vehicle(s): Vehicle #1 1997 Maryland Registration 18737CF CHEVY SUv

Driver/passengers(s)/pedestrian: TRAVIS ANTONIO IRVING, 32 from ELKRIDGE Maryland

Victim(s)/Injuries: Driver pronounced at scene

Narrative:

On 5/25/2015 at approximately 0341 hrs, Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack responded to a motor vehicle collision in the area of MD RT 90 RAMP EAST OF W/B RT 50, Worcester County, Maryland.

The preliminary investigation indicates the 1997 CHEVY SUV operated by TRAVIS ANTONIO IRVING of ELKRIDGE was traveling ON W/B MD RT 90 LEFT THE ROAD AND STRUCK A TREE. Evidence and witness statements indicate that the vehicle left the LEFT side of the roadway and struck a tree at which time the vehicle came to rest. Preliminary investigation suggests Irving was not restrained by a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.
The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was pronounced deceased upon arrival of medical personnel. Notification has been made to the family by Maryland State Police. The deceased has been sent to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. 

MD. Rt. 90 W/B was closed from the time of the collision until approximately 2 hours. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Berlin Fire Department and Maryland State Highway administration assisted with the incident.

Thank You

A Real Story of Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! We were in Columbus, Mississippi recently and learned of an amazing story that included these three elements: the Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, the origin of Memorial Day, and The Atlantic.

Here is the background: Columbus was a small town of about 6,000 people during the Civil War. Being near a rail line, Columbus received many mainly Confederate casualties of war, including those from the Battle of Shiloh in April, 1862, in nearby southwestern Tennessee. During the two days of that battle, a total of almost 3,500 soldiers were killed on both sides, and over 16,000 wounded. Columbus's share of the casualties led to its becoming well known as a hospital town.

By the war's end some 2,500 Confederate soldiers are thought to have been buried in the Friendship Cemetery in Columbus—along with, according to the National Archives, 32 Union soldiers as well. (As part of a nationwide effort to relocate Union soldiers to national cemeteries, those soldiers were later re-interred at Corinth National Cemetery, in northern Mississippi.)

A year after the war's end, in April, 1866, four women of Columbus gathered together to decorate the graves of the Confederate soldiers. They also felt moved to honor the Union soldiers buried there, and to note the grief of their families, by decorating their graves as well. The story of their gesture of humanity and reconciliation is now told and retold in Mississippi as being the occasion of the original Memorial Day.

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Angel Flight (Radio Tower Remix)

Memorial Day Is For Those Who Did Not Make It Home

Memorial Day is not a day for us, military caregivers, or any service member or veteran currently living. It is the day that we leave out that extra drink at the bar. Or a slice of lemon on the bread plate at the missing-man table.

Memorial Day is for those who did not make it home. It is for those who fought bravely until their last breath in hospitals such as Walter Reed. It is for those 22 veterans a day who came home physically, but never left the battle and ultimately lost their own private war.

It is a day when many who survived deal with their own survivor’s guilt. When we visit the graves, uniform white tombstones, and nothing else is left.

Some military caregivers fear Memorial Day, an ambiguous feeling, wondering if next year we’ll be mourning our service member or veteran. We grieve a lot, but not the grief of a widow, or a parent losing their child, not yet.

So here’s to those who are no longer with us. We love you, we miss you, and thank you for being a part of our lives. Memorial Day is your day and we’ll remember you, in memory, now and forever.

(The Washington Times)