Community Chat

[Catiele]

My favorite Uncle Bill came home from the war and suffered from arthritis. It was quite bad. I would stay overnight. Him and my aunt were my favorites. When he got up in the morning it was so sad. 
When he made it to the table he would open each finger with his hand. Through it all he had a great sense of humor. To all who lost their lives and those who came back  wounded this is their day.

[Puggywuggy]

Thank you @Oznell for posting this moving tribute to all of the brave members of the military for their ultimate sacrifice on our behalf!

[SaveTheTurtles]

Beautiful well stated post. I have not seen those pictures before. Thank you. @Oznell 

[beach-mom]

@Oznell - Thank you for sharing the beautiful paintings and words, and thank you to everyone for your comments.

 I will add one other thing. This is the letter President Lincoln wrote to Mrs. Bixby, after she lost her 5 sons in the Civil War. There is some controversy as to whether or not he was the actual writer. I think he was. The language sounds like 

Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.

Dear Madam,--

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,

A. Lincoln

[on the bay]

If there were no more wars, there wouldn't have to be anymore deaths, or sacrificing for freedom.

Everyone would already be free.

I wish there would be no more wars. I always wish never again, never again, does any soldier have to die because of a war or coming back home and taking their own life.

[timeless]

Maybe this isn't the place to "remember" a friend of my husband and me, but our friend enlisted in the Army right out of high school.  He tried to get my then-boyfriend to sign up with him, but I told him I would not wait for him to get out (persecute all you want!). 

So my then-boyfriend (who later became my husband...now almost 40 years), decided not to enlist.

His childhood friend elisted.

One day, on leave he and another friend from the Army went off-roading and he ended up in a coma due to the Jeep they were in overturning.

His friend died.  They were only 19!!!

After some time (this part is fuzzy for me), our friend came out of a coma and was without his ability to rememeber when my husband and he graduated.  He only remembered their "exploits" as teen guys. Whenever my husband talked with him he was like a 16 year old again.

His dad and mom got a divorce and the caring of him landed solely on his mom! 

Last we saw him was when my husband escorted him to their 20th high school reunion. 

We moved and lost touch.

I drink a toast to our friend, who though didn't lose his life in combat, still lost a "life" while in the Army.

[Oznell]

Such moving personal stories, thank you all.

I saw an article yesterday about the plight of the unknown soldier, those who died anonymously, sometimes in long-ago battles far away from here.  Theirs is a poignant history, and they are mourned, appreciated and missed, known or not.

[matty liz]

And you know Vermint, we should strive to live as would further the truth they died for.  I have a Grandson in the Air Force and he is willing to die for this Country.  Let us give him a reason for that determination.  

[Lakelife62]

---

@matty liz wrote:

And you know Vermint, we should strive to live as would further the truth they died for.  I have a Grandson in the Air Force and he is willing to die for this Country.  Let us give him a reason for that determination.  

---

Let it be so.'

Safety and health to your grandson and all those who serve.

[beckyb1012]

---

@PamfromCT wrote:

@skatting44, Thank you for this post about the Sullivan brothers.  I knew nothing about this and cannot imagine the pain their parents suffered.

Am I correct that there was a limit on the loss a family would endure?  That after a certain loss has happened in a family, a remaining member would be removed from a conflict situation?  Hence, "Saving Private Ryan"?  I saw the movie once and will never be able to see it again.

---

I did not know about the Sullivan family until the 1944 movie came one Sunday afternoon after church.  Just broke my heart.  You can see it on youtube now.