Decoration Day or Memorial Day

On May 5th 1868, General John A. Logan declared that May 30th would be known as Decoration Day Nation wide, that date was chosen because it held no significance as an anniversary of any past battle in America.

This day is set aside for the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice by giving their all, its also to honor those who are currently serving and for those who have served in the military for this nation willing and for those who were drafted as well.

We have places in this country who are attempting to whitewash history by removing monuments to soldiers and generals and important figures from the civil war. It is because of the civil war that we have Decoration Day/Memorial Day, the civil war was not fought over slavery but it eventually has been taught that is all it was about.

Prior to the start of the civil war, the federal government was taxing raw products and finished products that came from the southern states. The representatives in the house and in the senate told the federal government that if the excess taxation did not stop that they would leave the union and form their on nation. About that time the southern states were also looking at freeing all slaves and giving each male slave a 1/4 or 1/2 acre for each year they lived on a plantation.

In President Lincoln’s own words “we can not let the southern states leave for they fund the federal government” The federal government struck first by invading the southern states to prevent succession of the southern states.

President Lincoln issued the Emancepation Proclamation, on January 1st 1863, freeing all slaves, there was caveat to his speech, it only affected the slaves in the southern states while the civil war was going on. It wasn’t until 4 years later that the slaves in the northern states and southern states that was loyal to the union were freed.

Prior to the civil war as I had stated the southern states were looking into freeing the slaves the same at Russia had in 1859. Prior to Lincoln starting the war with a surprise attack on Charleston harbor on April 8th 1861, to occupy Fort Sumter which at that time was a federal tax collection fort. The southern states were starting the process of freeing the slaves. The occupation of Fort Sumter by the federal government military and navy altered that course of action by the southern states.

After the civil war had ended and congress initiated the process of reconstruction which in turn allowed for people from the northern states to move to the southern states became known as carpet baggers. It as during the era of reconstruction that majority of the representatives from the southern states were former slaves that were freed by Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation. The southern Democratic Party had created its response to the reconstruction time period which became known as the KKK party.

The klan was created as a response to the northern states using reconstruction era to have blacks in congress. The klan terroized and even killed blacks to get their point across. Up until the civil rights bill as passed by congress in the 1960’s, there was 7 other attempts to pass civil rights legislation by congress but the democrats in congress blocked them all.

It as the democrats that created the Jim Crow laws, the separate but equal education system, the whites only and blacks only laws. It was the democrats in power in the southern states that used the police, the police dogs, water cannons, and the states national guards against the civil rights marchers in the late 1950’s and the early 1960’s.

The civil rights bill that was voted on in the house in 1964 was filibustered by Al Gore Sr in the senate until another senator from Minnesota rewrote several sections that dealt with voting rights, the original version ould enshrine in the constitution the right to vote regardless color, religion, or gender, the rewritten version had it so that the senate had to revote on the voting rights act every so often, that is when enough democrats in the senate agreed to vote to pass the civil rights bill so the president could sign it into law.

What is now known as Memorial Day is because of the civil war, there were to many men killed during the civil war and to think we have people who have been elected feel it’s their right to remove monuments and to erase history because a few are offended by our nations past. To erase our past means that we as a nation are bound to repeat history. We need to embrace our past so that we do not repeat our past, but we are on the verge of repeating our past because a single political party prefers to keep groups of people as 2nd class citizens so that they will keep voting for them.

The civil war was not fought to keep a political party in power but to keep a young nation as a whole, every single soldier who has given their all in battle or in defense of this nation should be honored as well as those who are currently serving in the military and those who served and those who have retired from the military for they truly know what sacrifice truly means.

The song “If Your Reading This” best fits the term “giving it all”
It as first sung by Tim McGraw in 2007

If You’re Reading This
Tim McGraw
Lyrics
If you’re reading this
My Mommas sittin there
Looks like I only got a one way ticket over here
Sure wish I
Could give you one more kiss
And war was just a game we played when we were kids
I’m laying down my gun
I’m hanging up boots
I’m up here with God and we’re both watching over you
So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
And know my soul
Is where my momma always prayed
That it would go
And if you’re reading this
I’m already home
If you’re reading this
Half way around the world
I won’t be there
To see the birth of our little girl
I hope she looks like you
I hope she fights like me
Stand up for the innocent and weak
I’m laying down my gun
I’m hanging up boots
Tell dad I don’t regret that I followed in his shoes
So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
And know my soul
Is where my momma always prayed
That it would go
And if you’re reading this
I’m already home
If you’re reading this
There’s going to come a day
When you’ll move on
And find some one else
And that’s OK
Just remember this
I’m in a better place
Where soldiers live in peace
And angels sing amazing grace
So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
And know my soul
Is where my momma always prayed
That it would go
And if you’re reading this
I’m already home

There is another song that I will post the lyrics to as well for the soldiers who are still living, that fits them.

It’s sung by Toby Keith the title is American Soldier

Lyrics
I’m just trying to be a father,
Raise a daughter and a son,
Be a lover to their mother,
Everything to everyone.
Up and at ’em bright and early,
I’m all business in my suit,
Yeah, I’m dressed up for success,
From my head down to my boots.
I don’t do it for money
There’s bills that I can’t pay.
I don’t do it for the glory,
I just do it anyway.
Providing for our future’s my responsibility,
Yeah I’m real good under pressure,
Being all that I can be.
And I can’t call in sick on Mondays
When the weekends been too strong,
I just work straight through the holidays,
And sometimes all night long.
You can bet that I stand ready
When the wolf growls at the door,
Hey, I’m solid, hey I’m steady,
Hey I’m true down to the core.
And I will always do my duty,
No matter what the price,
I’ve counted up the cost,
I know the sacrifice.
Oh, and I don’t want to die for you,
But if dyin’s asked of me,
I’ll bear that cross with honor,
‘Cause freedom don’t come free.
I’m an American soldier, an American,
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand,
When liberty’s in jeopardy
I will always do what’s right,
I’m out here on the front lines,
So you can sleep in peace tonight.
American soldier, I’m an American,
American soldier,
An American

I found the soldiers Creed and its a good one and i hope that I am not offending anyone by just changing one word in the creed for it is meant to honor all soldiers.

A Soldiers Creed

I am an American Soldier.
I am a member of the United States Military – a protector of the greatest nation on earth.
Because I am proud of the uniform I wear, I will always act in ways creditable to the military service and the nation it is sworn to guard.
I am proud of my own organization. I will do all I can to make it the finest Military.
I will be loyal to those under whom I serve. I will do my full part to carry out orders and instructions given to me or my unit.
As a soldier, I realize that I am a member of a time-honored profession—that I am doing my share to keep alive the principles of freedom for which my country stands.
No matter what the situation I am in, I will never do anything, for pleasure, profit, or personal safety, which will disgrace my uniform, my unit, or my country.
I will use every means I have, even beyond the line of duty, to restrain my comrades from actions disgraceful to themselves and to the uniform.
I am proud of my country and its flag.
I will try to make the people of this nation proud of the service I represent, for I am an American Soldier.

Thank you for taking the time to read my view on Decoration Day/Memorial Day,
A ordinary mans view.

The Long Road To Elysian Fields

I am walking along this wide road and I see no one, but in the distance I see something but I am not sure, I hear my wife crying but can not see her. I hear my children but can not see them either, I look around and I hear my wife say it wasn’t my time.  I come upon a small pond along side the road that I am walking on, the road feels as if I belong here.  I look at the pond and I see not my reflection but the all I see are the events that impacted my life the most both happy and sad events.

The first event is at my oldest brothers swearing in ceremony and me & my mom that is what I will be doing when I am old enough. The next event is at my mothers side in the hospital as she lays dying from breast cancer that was not diagnosed in time.  I received permission from my dad to take the oath of enlistment early at my moms hospital bed side, as I said the final words she gave her last breath.  I left for basic training after my 17th birthday, after my basic training and my m.o.s. training I went back home for a family emergency leave, my father had passed away in his sleep because of a broken heart.

I had served two years when I had met my future wife, we had dated for several years before I had the courage to ask her father for her hand in marriage.  I looked at the pond again and I saw our marriage and then the births of our children all four of them.  I saw her face go pale as she is handing me the phone I was being called to active duty, I left 5 days later not knowing where I would be shipped.

I am closer to the object in the distance what happens to look like a soldier standing guard.  I come upon another pond and I see all four of my children’s last birthday’s that I was not at.  I saw my wife’s brave smile knowing that I was not there, to help celebrate the birthdays.  I walk a bit further on the road and the shape is that of a soldier standing guard, I yell but no response from the guard.

I walk past another pond but I stop, and I see my wife sitting at a table in a restaurant crying, I see the card I had sent her open on the table the card was for our anniversary, that was today.  I am closer to the soldier standing guard he looks to be an old soldier, I call out but still no response. I continue walking along the road and come to another small pond and I again I look and I see a newspaper with the words a hero celebrated, but no picture is in the article, it talks of how the small town came together for the soldier and his family.

I finally am standing in front of the soldier standing guard as I attempt to salute him, he tells me no for he should be saluting me, I am surprised and then listening to his voice I realize that it is my grandfather who was in the military, as he salutes me, I asked him why and he said they all drew straws to see who would welcome me to Elysian Fields, he was the one who won.

My grandfather asked me what was the last thing I remember doing, I told him that my command was in a battle, my grandfather informed me that all were lost in that battle myself included.  My grandfather asked me to step over to this small pond and showed me that my burial was 4 days ago, I saw my wife crying while my children were asking her where daddy was.  I finally realized the sounds that I had been hearing was because I had died, not because I was lost.

I look up from the pond and I see every family member who served in the military standing at attention waiting for me to pass, my grandfather escorts me down the line of family members who died.  I turn to salute the line and I have tears falling down my cheeks as I realize that I will not be there for my wife or to watch my kids grow up.

My grandfather informed me anytime I wish to see how my children or my wife is doing all I have to do is look into a small pond and I can see them, they can not see me but will sense my presence.  They will feel as if I am their guardian angel, watching over them.

My grandfather informs me that I fought till reinforcements had arrived, my last words were we were safe now,  The newspaper rallied the town to be there for me wife and kids, they buried me with honor.  My name was inscribed on the wall for those who made the greatest sacrifice.

I have been in Elysian Fields now for several years, I still look into ponds hoping to catch a glance of my children and my wife, I hear my wife cry when she is asked by our oldest when she is old enough to enlist, will mom be okay with it.  I look down at the pond with pride knowing my oldest wants to enlist, my wife agrees but only after she graduates from high school.

I see my wife still crying herself to sleep, I whisper its okay to move on……………….