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Some passing thoughts on remberance

Discussion in 'Honor, Service and Valor' started by lfkirby, Sep 3, 2009.

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  1. jemimas_special2

    jemimas_special2 Shepherd

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    Mr Kirby,

    I had goose bumps the whole time... the way you have expressed your war experience and tied into love and emotion is truly amazing. Enjoyed your post with great enthusiasm and respect... all the best to you and yours, and take care of yourself.

    your friend from Denver...

    Mark
     
    jemimas_special2, Sep 8, 2009
    #21
  2. fricker66

    fricker66 Member

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    Wow, thanks for the post. Looking forward to more of your posts/memories. Like others have said, just post what you can when you can. We'll be more than anxious to read!!!

    Thanks to you and your son for the contributions/sacrifices made that benefit us all today. :salute:
     
    fricker66, Sep 8, 2009
    #22
  3. Onthefield

    Onthefield Member

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    Thank you for your service Kirby. We here cannot express enough gratitude for the hell you endured on our behalf. Thank you
     
    Onthefield, Sep 9, 2009
    #23
  4. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I don't know how I missed all of this. Please accept my apologies.

    Yes, you are welcome to post anything you wish to post, memories, pictures, scans of documents, the floor is open to you. If I, or any member of the forum for that matter, can assist you, let us know. I can create you your own memories thread or you can continue to post in this one. Whatever works for you. I can edit the thread title, if you like.

    Those are gimmicks, awarded for numbers of posts. For reasons not known, they do no show up for WWII veterans. I can add an avatar to your profile if you like. Jack sent me a picture of him which I added. Let me know what you would like.

    Lou is right. We value what you men did and want others to know of the sacrifice, the camraderie, the horror and difficulties you endured.

    Are you kidding? No way would we pull the plug on you. At worst, I would split up a long post into several smaller posts, to make it easier to read, but we don't limit the veterans. And we don't care if you counted beans at Camp Frozenbutt Montana the whole war, we still want to hear your story.

    :D
     
    Slipdigit, Sep 10, 2009
    #24
  5. drummerboy

    drummerboy Member

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    there is no greater love than for one to lay down his life for his friends. thanks for your example , this generation needs it .
     
    drummerboy, Nov 20, 2009
    #25
  6. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Mr. Kirby, I don't know how I've missed seeing this thread until today but I now have a subscription added so I will never miss another post. It is an honor to be able to "sit and listen".
     
    Biak, Nov 27, 2009
    #26
  7. Sylvestersboy

    Sylvestersboy Member

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    Mr. Kirby,

    I only recently logged into this site while researching an uncle who was KIA in the ETO. God helped me find this thread, I truly believe that. Prior to this research project, I thought I was patriotic, as a peace time Air Force veteran, I have always believed that I am so lucky to have been born an American. But, and getting back on point, it both amazes me, and at the same time fills my heart with pride everytime I read stories such as yours. City boys, Country boys, living comfortable lives coming together in strange lands, sleeping on beaches, in foxholes for days and weeks on end, seeing things no person ought to have to see, missing loved ones, children, parents and spouses, all to allow us to be free. Not having been in combat, I have no idea of the struggles that you and many other young men went through during that period in time. This is as close as it gets for me. My respect and admiration for the American generation of WWII is more than I can express in words. Thank You from the bottom of my humbled heart for allowing us to have a deepened understanding of what our freedom cost...
     
    Sylvestersboy, Jan 7, 2010
    #27
  8. luketdrifter

    luketdrifter Ace

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    I don't know how I've missed this thread in the last year that I've been a member on this site. I wish that I had found it earlier to just thank Mr. Kirby for his service.
     
    luketdrifter, Feb 6, 2010
    #28
  9. articlesocial

    articlesocial recruit

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    Thanks so much for your posting
     
    articlesocial, Feb 22, 2010
    #29
  10. VictoryatNC

    VictoryatNC Member

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    Larry,
    Thanks to you and your son for your service and sacrifice. I was very moved by your posting and am looking forward to reading more from you.
     
    VictoryatNC, Feb 23, 2010
    #30
  11. DCBGSU

    DCBGSU Member

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    Mr. Kirby,

    Amazing recollection. I cannot even fathom the magnitude of the situation that you and the rest of the youth of your generation had to endure, amazing courage! Often times i think about what you wrote about, and being 20 yrs old, i cannot even imagine what it must have been like having to fight a war against a viscous, world hungry empire for the sake of freedom. For your generations sacrifices i am eternally grateful. I wish more people in my generation felt the same way, and really paid you men and women of your generation the respect and gratitude for the freedoms you helped preserve. Thank you :).
     
    DCBGSU, May 11, 2010
    #31
  12. surfersami

    surfersami Member

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    I would like to throw in my admiration for your initial post, your words strike to the heart and soul of those of us who are truly trying to honor the makers of our heritage. Whether German, Japonese, Italian, American - I will quit listing for fear of missing someone who lived WWII. All who served are respected on this site. Whether their cause was deemed right or wrong in our eyes, they served for their countries when asked or told to do so. You have put into words the understanding that men love and care for each other to the most extreme circumstance. Thank you, and your son for the sacrifices you made and the things you endured so that I can sit here in freedom!
    Please share with us what you can of your rememberances, nothing you write of your personal service is too trivial or not appreciated here!
     
    surfersami, May 11, 2010
    #32
  13. W Marlowe

    W Marlowe WWII Veteran

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    IF Kirby:

    You elequence in your opening E mail was wonderfull. You make for us who try to cool.

    My son did enter the service until the Viet Nam War.

    I will no bore you with the fears I had for Him.

    Thank you againg for your wonderful words.

    As Ever,

    Walter L. Marlowe

    ( Airborne All the Way ):)
     
    W Marlowe, Aug 11, 2010
    #33
  14. macrusk

    macrusk Proud Daughter of a Canadian WWII Veteran

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    I have a mix of music playing in the background, and as I read this thread again, Amazing Grace began to play and it seemed so right. You and our other Veterans grace us with your presence, and it is with gratitude we read about your experiences. Thank you for your eloquence the lets us feel a whisper of your experiences.
     
    macrusk, Aug 11, 2010
    #34
  15. rkline56

    rkline56 USS Oklahoma City CG5

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    Mr. Kirby,

    I just read your post and it is a great interpretation of what many of the combat veterans, and yourself of course, must feel.
    I hope you will get a chance to see this short clip of some veterans visiting the World War II Memorial in D.C. I truly hope each and every man who attended had one of the most wonderful experiences in his life.
    The visitors were transported via the USAF and arrived in D.C. on May 25th, 2011. Enjoy this video, Sir. I can only hope that our Commander in Chief had a reception for these men at the White House or the memorial.

    ‘Greatest Generation’ visits war memorial | The American Legion | Veterans Serving Veterans


    There are some great cartoons out there that demonstrate the true importance of Memorial Day. If anyone wants to see them I would be happy to post them.



    Richard
     
    rkline56, May 28, 2011
    #35
  16. rkline56

    rkline56 USS Oklahoma City CG5

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    The American Legion is busy this weekend with many special events scheduled.

    Memorial Day gives Americans everywhere a chance to relax for a three-day weekend, head to a neighborhood barbecue or enjoy an auto race or two. But, even amid the most patriotic celebrations of Americana, the true meaning of Memorial Day is often forgotten.
    At its core, the holiday formerly known as "Decoration Day" - named for the decorative flowers laid on Civil War-era soldiers' graves - isn't meant to signify the rebirth of summer; it's a time to honor the men and women who have died serving our country and given us the freedom to have family gatherings and backyard barbecues.
    Enacted in the mid-1800s as a day of remembrance, Memorial Day became the holiday's proper nomenclature in 1882. It originally commemorated those who perished during the Civil War, but was extended after World War I to include all Americans killed at war. In 1968, Memorial Day was moved from the middle of May to the final Monday of the month as part of Congress' Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays - Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Washington's Birthday - to specified Mondays in their respective months.
    At the beginning of Memorial Day, the U.S. flag is traditionally raised to the top of the staff and then lowered solemnly to the halfway point. It remains there until noon, when it is raised to the top of the staff for the remainder of the day. Per a law enacted by Congress in 2000, Americans should also pause at 3 p.m. for a minute of remembrance to ponder the holiday's true meaning.
    Throughout the country, The American Legion is observing the Memorial Day weekend with a number of appearances and activities:
    • From Friday morning through Monday evening, volunteers from the Legion's Washington office are staffing an informational booth on the National Mall near the Vietnam Veterans and Vietnam Women's Memorials. Staffers are passing out Legion brochures, providing VA benefit information, and giving tokens of appreciation to veterans and other interested passersby.
    • Friday afternoon, National Adjutant Dan Wheeler served as master of ceremonies at the Memorial Day Ceremony in Indianapolis' Monument Circle. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard also gave remarks, and National Commander Jimmie Foster in attendance as a guest of honor.
    • Beginning Friday night, Legion Riders hailing from Illinois to Virginia are riding their mostly V-twin motorcycles in the spectacle known as Rolling Thunder - a marathon motorcycling event that includes nearly half a million participants. The Rolling Thunder - which includes Legion Executive Director Marty Justis - will finish its run with parade laps around the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Pentagon, a truly awesome sight.
    • On Memorial Day itself, Vietnam veteran and National Vice Commander William Schrier, a long way from his Pacific Northwest home in Washington state, will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and participate in a similar observance at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (otherwise known as The Wall).
    • Nearby, in Virginia's Quantico National Cemetery, Executive Director Peter Gaytan of the Legion's Washington, D.C., headquarters will deliver the keynote address at a Memorial Day ceremony hosted by the Potomac Region Veterans Council.
    • Meanwhile, the Legion's Legislative Division director, Tim Tetz, will appear on a special hour-long CNN Memorial Day broadcast. It will air in both the 9 a.m. and noon hours (EDT).


    Happy Memorial Day You All!
     
    rkline56, May 28, 2011
    #36
  17. Victor Gomez

    Victor Gomez Ace

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    I thank you for your post....my folks who survived the war effort are gone....and missed...but it is a help and an aid to me to know they were not alone in what they went through to become a veteran with wife who prevailed in surviving WWII. We owe so much to those who gave their lives in that struggle but we also owe those that survived the difficulties as well. Your expression of confidence in your fellow soldiers is awe inspiring in these modern days where you will more often find mistrust and doubt. Perhaps the exception to this are the soldiers that are currently contributing their efforts at preserving our freedoms. I know not all WWII soldiers were perfect but they certainly had a worthy cause to defend against the tyrannical powers that opposed the free world in this great struggle against a known evil. They arose to the task and performed with a great struggle until victory was achieved. I am forever thankful for the efforts they made in their time as I am thankful for those serving today. Thanks for your observations and welcome to the forum.
     
    Victor Gomez, May 29, 2011
    #37
  18. rkline56

    rkline56 USS Oklahoma City CG5

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    The Common Soldier

    Shout long and loud for victory won,
    By chief and leader staunch and true:
    But don't forget the boys that fought
    Shout for the common soldier too.


    -Anonymous Cincinnati Daily Gazette July 7, 1865


    So true.
    Happy Memorial Day all!!


    Richard
     
    rkline56, May 30, 2011
    #38
  19. surfersami

    surfersami Member

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    I was just rereading the original post again, I am, for the second time, left speechless. You can not add anything to what was said that can enhance this. I wish many of the writings of these men could be carved into marble and mounted on the walls of our capitals around the world.
     
    surfersami, Jun 10, 2011
    #39
  20. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Mr. Kirby has not posted for over two years. I post this to bump his thread to remember him this coming Memorial Day.
    Below is a commentary showing we still have those who are willing to go into harms way for us.


    Commentary by Gen. Craig R. McKinley
    National Guard Bureau chief

    5/23/2012 - ARLINGTON, Va. -- Six hundred ninety-three: That's how many brave, selfless National Guardsmen and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11 to ensure others a chance to enjoy freedom. Memorial Day is once again upon us, and it is important to reflect upon and honor those who have served in defense of our nation.

    Memorial Day grew from a Civil War tradition of women's groups gathering each year to decorate the graves of those whose lives were lost. Believe it or not, just two decades after that bloody conflict, some wondered why the holiday was necessary. One of its veterans, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. -- later a Supreme Court justice -- argued remembrance was not only relevant, but a duty to the fallen. "It is for us to bear the report to those who come after us," Holmes stated.

    In the last decade alone, the National Guard has supported more than 675,000 mobilizations in support of domestic and overseas missions. Equally impressive are our reenlistment rates since 9/11. The 106,200 Airmen of our Air National Guard boast the highest retention rates of any active duty or reserve force. Further, more than 80 percent of our 358,200 Army Guard members joined the National Guard after 9/11, knowing full well they would be put in harm's way. More than 50 percent are now seasoned combat veterans. This decade has been the first real test of the all-volunteer force, and it has worked in spectacular fashion.

    Odds are you know a guardsman or woman. They are your neighbors, co-workers, friends or relatives. There are more than 460,000 National Guard members in more than 3,000 communities across all 50 states, three territories -- Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands -- and the District of Columbia. In nearly every zip code, these citizen Soldiers and Airmen are the connective tissue that links Main Street America to our military. They are vital to ensuring public support for all of our brave men and women in uniform.

    Since the 9/11 attacks, our National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have served on the frontlines at home and abroad. In 2011 alone, our nation encountered 14 natural disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage each. The National Guard provided critical life-saving, property protection and recovery support for wildfires in the Southwest, a blizzard in Chicago, floods along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and tornadoes. They also helped protect our borders from drug traffic and ensure the sovereignty of our nation's airspace. For more than 375 years the National Guard has protected our communities and the people and property in them.

    This generation of National Guardsmen, like past generations, is serving in combat zones. Over the last decade the National Guard has faced the enemy in Iraqi deserts and Afghani mountains. Since 1636, when colonial citizens put down their ploughs and picked up their muskets, America's National Guard has been there. They have fought and died in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the first Gulf War and more.

    Today, the National Guard provides roughly 40 percent of America's total military force for only 7 to 8 percent of the DOD budget. Just as important, in these financially constrained times, nearly 85 percent of the National Guard serves part time. In short, when citizen Soldiers and Airmen are not deployed, their civilian employers -- not the DOD -- absorb the bulk of their costs. The National Guard is security America can afford.

    Focusing on the National Guard's future could be the best way to honor all of our fallen. As America's strategic hedge for unforeseen world events, it's important the National Guard remains an operational force. Investing in the National Guard allows us to preserve our most experienced cadre of battle-tested Soldiers and Airmen. Further, the National Guard's State Partnership Program, approaching its 20th year, is a cornerstone of the new defense strategy. Partnered with more than 60 foreign nations, we have forged enduring alliances by strengthening our partner countries' capacity and competence. National Guard partner nations have reduced the demand for U.S. forces -- 25 partner nations contributed troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, while 31,000 partner-nation personnel support U.N. peacekeeping operations. Most telling, more than 85 countries -- one-third of the world -- have requested to partner with the National Guard as part of the SPP.

    This Memorial Day, as you reflect on the sacrifices made by National Guard members at home and abroad for nearly four centuries, also consider the family members of our servicemen and women. They, too, have made immeasurable sacrifices and contributions. Remembrance is our duty. We owe it to the fallen members of the National Guard -- Army and Air -- who paid the ultimate price.
     
    Biak, May 24, 2012
    #40
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