Ahhh, Memorial Day . . .

Just the sound of it conjures up wonderful images of summer, doesn't it? Memorial Day is a holiday anticipated each year nearly as much as any holiday Americans celebrate. It represents many things to us: the official kick-off of the summer vacation season; theme parks, pools, National Parks, etc. are open for the summer season; a three day week-end. And don't forget the family picnics, barbecues and the parades. Fun, fun, fun!

While it's great to celebrate all these things, there's so much more to remember. This holiday weekend, take a moment to reflect on the real meaning behind this holiday - the ultimate sacrifice of life made by so many of our military men and women. Without the selfless duty of these people, we would not be able to enjoy and even take for granted, the freedom we have today. We should not forget the equal sacrifices made by the families of these individuals. Their lives were also changed forever due to the circumstances put upon them. And they, too, gave their best for the generations that followed.

This Memorial Day weekend, please take a moment to give thanks for your freedom. Thank God for His gift of the many men and women of valor and courage who willingly gave all to grant us the privilege of being Americans today.

We salute all those who have fallen in service of our great country.

"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Have a great weekend, everyone!
And please be careful out there.

Please read on. . .
there's more below !

"Tell them of us and say,
For their tomorrow,
We gave our today."

The Kohima Epitaph
The Kohima Epitaph appears on a monument at the British military cemetery at Kohima, Assam, India, in memory of those who died in World War II's largest Asian land battle near there in 1944.

Click above to play Taps.

Taps
Composed By Major General Daniel Butterfield
Army of the Potomac, Civil War

Fading light
Dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky
Gleaming bright.
From afar
Drawing nigh
Falls the night.

Day is done,
gone the sun,
From the lake,
from the hills,
from the sky.
All is well,
safely rest,
God is nigh.

Then good night,
peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn
shineth bright,
God is near
Do not fear
Friend, good night.

"TAPS is the most beautiful bugle call. Played slowly and softly, it has a smooth, tender and touching character. The bugle call was written during the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War by General Butterfield, with an assist from his bugler, Oliver W. Norton, in 1862.

"TAPS" went on from its origin as an alternative to "Lights Out" to become not only a signal that day was done, but also to say good-bye to a fallen comrade.

"TAPS" is customarily played at funerals at Arlington national Cemetery as well as at ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns there.

Its composer is buried in the Post Cemetery at the United States Military Academy at West Point (even though he did not graduate from the Academy).

Please join us in putting "Memorial" back into Memorial Day.
Please consider passing this message along to your family and friends as a reminder to them as well.

A Holiday Greeting from my-TGIF.

Special thanks to Michael Robert Patterson for sharing information for this page.
Please click on the award below to visit his wonderful web site.