Archive of posts tagged Military

Memorial Day 2020

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The Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknowns

Proclamation on Prayer for Peace, Memorial Day, 2020

Issued on: May 21, 2020

Since the first shots fired in the Revolutionary War, Americans have answered the call to duty and given their lives in service to our Nation and its sacred founding ideals.  As we pay tribute to the lives and legacies of these patriots on Memorial Day, we also remember that they sacrificed to create a better, more peaceful future for our Nation and the world.  We recommit to realizing that vision, honoring the service of so many who have placed love of country above all else.

As Americans, we will always defend our freedom and our liberty.  When those principles are threatened, we will respond with uncompromising force and unparalleled vigor.  Generation after generation, our country’s finest have defended our Republic with honor and distinction.  Memorials, monuments, and rows of white crosses and stars in places close to home like Arlington, Virginia and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as well as far-flung battlefields in places like Flanders Field in Belgium and Busan in Korea, will forever memorialize their heroic actions, standing as solemn testaments to the price of freedom.  We will never take for granted the blood shed by these gallant men and women, as we are forever indebted to them and their families.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Allied victories over Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in World War II.  As we commemorate these seminal events, we also remember the tremendous cost at which these victories came.  More than 400,000 souls of the Greatest Generation perished during this titanic struggle to liberate the world from tyranny.  In his address to the Nation on Japan’s surrender, President Truman’s words remind us all of our enduring obligation to these patriots for their sacrifice:  “It is our responsibility — ours the living — to see to it that this victory shall be a monument worthy of the dead who died to win it.”  As we pause to recall the lives lost from the ranks of our Armed Forces, we remain eternally grateful for the path they paved toward a world made freer from oppression.

Our fallen warriors gave their last breath for our country and our freedom.  Today, let us pause in quiet reverence to reflect on the incredible dedication of these valiant men and women and their families, invoking divine Providence as we continue pursuing our noble goal of lasting peace for the world.

In honor and recognition of all of our fallen heroes, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116), has requested the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer.  The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 25, 2020, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time when people might unite in prayer.

I further ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.

I also request the Governors of the United States and its Territories, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that, on Memorial Day, the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control.  I also request the people of the United States to display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth.

DONALD J. TRUMP

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Memorial Day 2019

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Tome of the Unknowns

The Tomb of the Unknowns

Proclamation on Prayer for Peace, Memorial Day, 2019

Issued on: May 24, 2019

Whether on the battlefields of Bunker Hill, on the beaches of Normandy, in the jungles of Vietnam, or in the mountains and deserts of the Middle East, brave Americans of every generation have given their last full measure of devotion in defense of our country, our liberty, and our founding ideals. On Memorial Day, we humbly honor these incredible patriots and firmly renew our abiding commitment to uphold the principles for which they laid down their lives.

As a free people, we have a sacred duty to remember the courageous warriors who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that our great country would endure. It is our responsibility to strive to ensure that their noble acts of dedication to our country and the cause of freedom were not in vain and to comfort the families they have left behind, who bear the heartbreak of their loss. We must ensure that the light of our Republic, and all for which these most honorable Americans willingly died, continues to shine forth brightly into the world. As President Lincoln said in 1863 during the dedication of the Gettysburg National Military Cemetery: “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”

As we approach the 75th anniversary of D-Day, we proudly commemorate those heroic and honorable patriots who gave their all for the cause of freedom during some of history’s darkest hours. Thousands of selfless members of our Armed Forces perished on the beaches of Normandy. They bravely gave their lives to pave the way for the Allied liberation of Europe and ultimately victory over the forces of evil. Their historic sacrifices and achievements secured the future of humanity and proved America’s strength in defending freedom and defeating the enemies of civilization.

Those who rest in the hallowed grounds of our country’s national cemeteries laid their lives upon the altar of freedom. Today, as we unite in eternal gratitude for the sacrifices of these extraordinary Americans, let us also offer a prayer for lasting peace. Let us renew our steadfast resolve to work toward a peaceful future, in which the horrors of war are a distant memory and our families, our communities, and our Nation need no longer confront the sorrow and pain of losing our beloved sons and daughters.

In honor and recognition of all of our fallen heroes, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116), has requested the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer. The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 27, 2019, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time when people might unite in prayer.

I further ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.

I also request the Governors of the United States and its Territories, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control. I also request the people of the United States to display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.

DONALD J. TRUMP

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Memorial Day 2018

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Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense

Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense

Remember those that gave all.

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Memorial Day 2017

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Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense

Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense

Honor those that gave all for our country.

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Memorial Day 2016

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Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense

Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense

Remember those that gave all.

Tattoo

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PopeyeI’m not a fan of tattoos. That’s why I don’t have any. But, neither am I a fan of stopping others from getting tattoos. I know plenty of people with them.

Once, most of the people I knew with tattoos were military, or ex-military, mostly Navy or ex-Navy. Later, a number of people sporting tattoos included people who got drunk in or near Savannah one weekend. That’s because you had to go to Savannah, Richmond Hill, or Hinesville (Ft. Stewart) to get a tattoo. Unless you were in Reidsville, but Georgia State Prison wasn’t normally a place you left after just one weekend.

But, in recent years, tattoos are sprouting up all over the place. And now, the Army is reacting to that. The oldest branch of the U.S. military is looking to ban some tattoos from being visible:

Under the new policy, new recruits will not be allowed to have tattoos that show below the elbows and knees or above the neckline, (Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond) Chandler told troops. Current soldiers may be grandfathered in, but all soldiers will still be barred from having any tattoos that are racist, sexist or extremist.

Once the rules are implemented, soldiers will sit down with their unit leaders and “self identify” each tattoo. Soldiers will be required to pay for the removal of any tattoo that violates the policy, Chandler said.

I’m still not a fan of tattoos, but I kinda have a problem with the new Army policy. It goes against history. At least, Georgia History.

Let me tell you a story. Back in the early 1940s, the governor of Georgia — I heard it was Ellis Arnall, but it could have been Eugene Talmadge — was meeting with a bunch of soldiers before they headed off to war, either in the Europe or Pacific campaigns in World War II. One of the soldiers spoke up and asked him why 18 years old was old enough to go fight in a war, but not old enough to vote for the people that send him off to war. The governor told him, “You’re right. We’ll do something about that.”

By the end of 1943, Georgia had become the first state to allow 18 year olds to vote. In 1955, Kentucky did the same. The rest of the U.S. joined in 1971 with the passage of the 26th Amendment.

Here’s another story. In the 1970s and 80s, when states were starting to raise the drinking age to 21, Georgia put in an exception for active duty military. That exception no longer exists — the state does allow parents to give alcohol to minors in their own home, but that’s the only exception (O.C.G.A. § 3-3-23) — but, as you can see, where I come from, we have a history of allowing things specially for or because of the military.

This new Army policy is counter to that, and I don’t like it. And I don’t want the Navy, Marine, or Air Force to follow suit.

Of course, in my time in the military, a lot of soldiers had tattoos, but none were tramp stamps. Well, not many.

What’s your take on this?

238

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ArmySIL

A soldier serving today in the U.S. Army.

In addition to today being Flag Day, there’s another anniversary today. It’s the anniversary of the founding of the Continental Army, which was the United States Army before there was a United States.

238 years ago, on June 14, 1775, the Continental Army was formed. That rag-tag group of citizen soldiers beat the odds and the British, and the United States of America was the result.

Some of us at IMAO had the privilege to serve our country in uniform, in different branches of the service.

Some of you reading this had the same privilege. We thank you all.

Today, we especially recognize and thank those that served in our first branch of the military, the United States Army.

Memorial Day 2013

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Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense
Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense

Remember those that gave all for you.

Memorial Day 2012

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Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense
Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Department of Defense

Remember those that gave all for you.

Stuffing the Stockings

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IMAO reader WyoScotch recently brought to my attention a project going on in the Lexington, NC area. The full story hehind it is here, but here’s a summary:

The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit was recently deployed off the African coast for a longer-than-normal period of time. Because of the expense, there’s no money in the unit’s budget for some of the usual Christmas activities, so their families have started a project to ensure they get something at Christmastime. And, because of the logistics, they’ve got to make this happen by next Monday, the 14th.

It seems a worthwhile project to me, so I’m going to help. If you think it’s something you want to help with, you can find more details on how to help on their Facebook page.

Here’s more about it, with a “how-to” and suggestions:
Continue reading ‘Stuffing the Stockings’ »

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Flag Day … and then some

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On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the United States flag. We now know this day as Flag Day.

Our country’s flag has flown proudly since Revolutionary War. During this country’s expansion across the continent, the flag flew. As the nation was torn apart by a civil war less than 90 years after its founding, the flag flew. During this country’s defense of liberty in the two world wars, the flag flew. When man broke free of the earth and landed on the moon, the flag flew. When the rebuilding began after Islamic terrorists attacked this nation, the flag flew. When the people of Iraq were released from over 20 years of Saddam Hussein’s oppression, the flag flew. And, despite those without our own country that seek to bring this country down, the flag still flies.

Traditionally, the president issues a proclamation observing Flag Day, although the current occupant of the White House hasn’t seen fit to do that this year; the last Flag Day proclamation on the White House’s Website is from 2008.

Despite the lack of recognition by the White House, we’re encouraging you to show proper respect and allegiance to the flag of the United States, in accordance with the proper rules of etiquette.

The flag represents this great nation. Fly it proudly.

Oh, yes, one other thing. Two years before the flag was adopted, the Continental Army, forerunner of today’s United States Army, was formed. That means today is the 235th birthday of the Army. If you see a soldier today, thank him. If you know a former soldier, thank him, too. I know he’d appreciate it.

Veteran’s Day 2008

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Today is Veteran’s Day.

It began as Armistice Day, noting the the end of the first world war, November 11, 1918.

In the 1950s, it was expanded to become a day to honor all U. S. veterans.

This country has been honored by the service of many, many men and women over the years, serving in the uniforms of our country.

We should honor them, remembering all those that served, especially those that gave their lives in that service.

As a veteran, I’m honored to have worn my country’s uniform.

As a citizen, I want to honor those that are wearing that uniform today.