Memorial Day,, Remembering

[Fellowship]

This weekend I wanted to create a thread where people could reflect their respects to those who have served their country.

While I am not a fan of war I do have tremendous respect for those who serve their country and I am thankful for your service.

http://homepage.mac.com/fellowship/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2007-05-25%2007.06.38%20-0700/Image-1F4BD1A00AC811DC.jpg

With nothing but respect,

Fellows

[SDW2001]

This weekend I wanted to create a thread where people could reflect their respects to those who have served their country.

While I am not a fan of war I do have tremendous respect for those who serve their country and I am thankful for your service.

http://homepage.mac.com/fellowship/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2007-05-25%2007.06.38%20-0700/Image-1F4BD1A00AC811DC.jpg

With nothing but respect,

Fellows

Nice idea, Fellows. It is important that we honor those who have served and are serving in the military now. Not to make this about me in any way, but I know that when I see someone who served (especially recently) I always try to thank them. I did so in Disney World last summer, sitting next to a Marine (I think) on one of the rides. He had a cap on with his division (or what not--I'm sorry I don't recall) and said he had gotten back from Iraq not long ago. I shook his hand and thanked him. Certainly the very least we can do for all those risking their lives for the rest of us.

[@_@ Artman]

http://www.communitycrossroads.com/images/soldier_picts/soldier_baby.jpg

Bring. Them. Home.

[iPoster]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/USS_Nicholson%3B0598203.jpg

I remember the immense up swell of pride in the military when I returned from Desert Storm. It felt good to get that 'Vietnam monkey' off our backs! The last several years I have gotten thanks from strangers on occasion as well. Now that I'm retired, I haven't been wearing any of my unit caps, best reason I can give is that I don't want to steal any appreciation from the active men and women. Even though the war is going poorly politically, it's good to see the public still supporting the troops themselves. Like it was said when I was in, 'we don't make the wars, we just put the warheads on the foreheads'.

FYI, the picture is the USS Nicholson (DD-982), my last seagoing command. I'm standing under the aft CIWS mount in this photo. :D The 'Nick' was decommissioned and sunk as a target in 2004. I haven't decided if that's better than being towed to India or China and cut up as scrap or not.

[iPoster]

That's a big help. :p

Heh, sorry about the Navy talk, it's hard to make out against the clouds in that low res pic anyway! Slightly above and to the right of the small boat with the white top about halfway back on the ship, there is a large rectangular 'wall' (side of the helo hangar) with a railing on top. I was up there under the smaller overhanging gray assembly with the CIWS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_CIWS) on top of it.