Flopping Aces Memorial Day Videos

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Here’s my 2009 Memorial Day video:

Most of the photos come from DoD, and are focused on the current conflicts. The editing is a bit uneven, as I haphazardly imported pictures without a lot of discrimination; but ultimately, what I decided I wanted to convey is the sense of sacrifice of not just the soldiers, but of the military families they leave behind who dare to support them and their mission. I wanted to juxtaposition those photos of them reunited/leaving their families with photos of what their service and sacrifice away from home have gained back in return: Purple fingers….admiration and friendships with Iraqis and Iraqi children….. There’s a poignancy there, because these mothers and fathers should be back home with their own families, who need them in their lives; their children deserve to have their parent holding them- not be half a world away, holding someone else’s child in place of them. And yet, what the soldier does by leaving his family behind, he does on behalf of them…and us.

It is the American soldier who is the best ambassador to other nations; who exemplifies nobility and compassion and who exports our values and traditions. It is the American soldier who represents the best and brightest our country has to offer.

When those Iraqi children in the photos grow up, I hope they remember the kindness and friendship of U.S. soldiers.

A reminder of why America’s military is the most hated around the world.

Take also into consideration, the following:

Just Europe .

1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne , France . A total of 2289 of our m ilitary dead.
We Apologize.

2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes , Belgium . A total of 5329 of our dead.
We are arrogant .

3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France . A total of 4410 of our military dead.
Excuse us.

4. Brookwood , England American Cemetery. A total of 468 of our dead.

5. Cambridge , England . 3812 of our military dead.

6. Epinal , France American Cemetery. A total of 5525 of our Military dead.

7. Flanders Field , Belgium . A total of 368 of our military.

8. Florence , Italy . A total of 4402 of our military dead.

9. Henri-Chapelle , Belgium . A total of 7992 of our military dead.

10. Lorraine , France . A total of 10,489 of our military dead.

11. Luxembourg , Luxembourg . A total of 5076 of our military dead.

12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14246 of our military dead.

13. Netherlands , Netherlands . A total of 8301 of our military dead.

14. Normandy , France . A total of 9387 of our military dead.

15. Oise-Aisne , France . A total of 6012 of our military dead.

16. Rhone , France . A total of 861 of our military dead.

17. Sicily , Italy . A total of 7861 of our military dead.

18. Somme , France . A total of 1844 of our military dead.

19. St. Mihiel , France . A total of 4153 of our military dead.

20. Suresnes , France . a total of 1541 of our military dead.

IF I ADDED CORRECTLY
THE COUNT IS 104,366

Apologize to no one. Remind those of our sacrifice and don’t confuse
arrogance with leadership.

From 2008:

From 2007:

Hat tip Cox and Forum for the following:

The official birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York. The village was credited with being the birthplace because it observed the day on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter, and because it is likely that the friendship of General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A Logan, who led the call for the day to be observed each year and helped spread the event nationwide, was a key factor in its growth.

General Logan had been impressed by the way the South honored their dead with a special day and decided the Union needed a similar day. Reportedly, Logan said that it was most fitting; that the ancients, especially the Greeks, had honored their dead, particularly their heroes, by chaplets of laurel and flowers, and that he intended to issue an order designating a day for decorating the grave of every soldier in the land, and if he could he would have made it a holiday.

Logan had been the principal speaker in a citywide memorial observation on April 29, 1866, at a cemetery in Carbondale, Illinois, an event that likely gave him the idea to make it a national holiday. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans’ organization, Logan issued a proclamation that “Decoration Day” be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle. The tombs of fallen Union soldiers were decorated in remembrance of this day. …

The alternative name of “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882, but did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved four holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend.

Other FA Memorial Day posts:
“Earn this. Earn it.”

The History of Memorial Day

A Memorial Day Message for the Ages

Today I Remember Sgt. Eddie Jeffers

Remember Memorial Day

“God must have a special place for soldiers.”

Interactive search of the Vietnam Wall Memorial

Memorial Day 2009

Remember… and honor

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Thank you for this post.

Thankyou for your wonderful tribute, what a nice job. I can guarantee you that the Iraqi children will remember our troops with gratitude forever. When I was a child living on the island of Cyprus we were visited by the sailors from the British mine-sweepers and they had endless time and kindness for us kids-we must have driven them crazy. I have never forgotten.
God Bless the families of the Fallen.

Thank you for a great video. I am grateful today for all veterans.

How powerful! I put it on my Facebook to share with others who would not otherwise see it. Let us all remember together, not just on this day, but every day, the freedom we enjoy has been won and preserved by the sacrifices of the men and women in our Armed Forces, and their loved ones who are also deserving of our true and deep appreciation.

Thank you for three years of lovely tributes to our men and women who wear the uniform, those who have lost limbs, those who have given their lives. We owe them a huge debt. Huge. Your heartfelt video essays say so much.

Bless you and the men and women who have given it all.

Andrea

Thank You for this beautiful trubute. I have never had a family member overseas fighting a battle but I feel each and every American over there is a family member and I pray that they all come home to their families safe and mentally healthy. I wish we didn’t have to have our people fighting for our and others freedom, but as long as we as a human race do not respect and accept each other as I’m sure God wants us to there will be unrest and unjust treatment of others. May God bless those that have fallen for freedom and bless those that are protecting freedom now.

Blessings,
Virginia