...and you wonder why we say you hate your country.

 "HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???."  - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)

WhichWing, you appall me. Not only because I am active duty USAF, but as an American as well.

Memorial Day is for honoring our soldiers and their sacrifices...every one of them that has served. We should never take our focus off of the true reason for Memorial Day to wallow in guilt or sadness over political differences. Defunding this war is no way to show any support for our troops...in fact it is pulling the rug out from under them and postponing the battles they are currently engaged in until they come to our shores, at which point our civilian population will be susceptable to attacks. If you continue to fight them over there we likely will not have to fight them over here.

And even if you don't support the current war, what about paying homage to the ill-equipped, barely trained rag-tag bunch of farmers (that mostly made up the Continental Army) that stood up to King George III and the most powerful army and navy in the world? Their actions allowed us (and much of the rest of the world) to live free.

Or in 1812, when our still fledgling nation stood up to Britian's bullying and subversion.

Or in the 1860's the American Civil War.

Or the Spanish-American War.

Or the Filipino-American War.

Or WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Viet Nam War, or the Gulf War.

And don't forget all the troops that served in "peacetime" but still maintained their readiness to protect freedom and liberty.

All told, millions of American men and women have served in the armed forces. Some have seen the horrors of combat, some have been fortunate to not. All have made sacrifices to give birth to this free nation or to help it continue in liberty and freedom. From the teen-aged farm boy volunteers in the American Revolution to the pilot of the Enola Gay in August 1945, to Medal of Honor recipient (post humously) Marine Corporal Jason Dunham in 2004, all of them have been heroes in one way or another deserving of our gratitude and our thoughts and prayers.

Chances are, some of your relatives and your forefathers served this country and protected our freedom and liberty. At the very least honor them. Would your grand-daddy be proud or ashamed of you?

In the past I have spent Memorial Day at the American Cemetery (2001) at Normandy and at the American Cemetery in Luxembourg (where Patton is buried with his men) (2002). Even some Europeans come out and helped us place flags on every grave in honor of American troops that fought for their freedom. One of the greatest honors I've had as a serviceman was to perform the Retreat Ceremony and fold the Old Glory on Memorial Day at the Cemetery in Luxembourg with some of the European veterans, whom I might add had the utmost respect for our flag and American Servicemen. There is a monument overlooking the 9,387 graves at Normandy called "Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves". Many of the older generations of Western Europeans will tell you that America's youth saved them from tyranny. Sadly, with the type of sentiment you post here and with what is being taught to our children in schools, colleges, and universities much of today's youth believe nothing--not even freedom or liberty--is worth fighting for.

Memorial Day is for honoring our military. Past and present. It is not for petty squabbling and politicized messages.

"Believe what you want. You work your side of the street, and I'll work mine." --Frank Bullitt

Too bad you guys can't handle another point of view.

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

Unnecessary war?  So just what is your definition of a necessary war?  Not too intune with any history or agenda are we?  All this tripe tells me is that either you have never served or did (very shortly) and are grudged.  Just by the statement concerning stopping funding, you think that funding only is for OIF?  This shows when you don't know what you're talking about, it's best just to shut your pie hole and move on.  When funding is cut more is hurt than what you think (70's and 90's flashback) and the cry of support the troops has been hijacked by asshats who think that de-funding the military is somehow going to help us.  I don't need your damn help or your clown comments.  We're doing just fine here and getting the job done.  If you don't think so then cowboy up and come on over.  You obviously have no clue as to what's going on and somehow live in this fancifull land that believes if we leave here everything is going to be bubblegum waterfalls and puppies.  Think apeasement works?  Maybe you ought to take a look at some of the countries that think up your ally and believed apeasement would keep them out of the fight for their lives.  Lastly, don't speak on my behalf, cause you don't, nor for my troops and our mission.

"72 Virgins Dating Service, We'll Hook You Up"

 "And that makes each death there a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions"

cept Queen Elizabeth didnt have to deal with the military industrial complex instead of how the Madness of King George deals with them. :)

A free press is one of the first things to go in a totalitarian government. Montana Lyons