Greetings:
I would like to extend my personal best wishes to all "my" list subscribers
on this holiday weekend in most of the U.S.A. Whether or not you are an
"American", I would also like to ask you to consider two things:
First, the meaning of Memorial Day. It is not a day to remember veterans of
military service; we veterans have our own day, the 11th of November.
Rather, it is a day to recall those who died while in service. I have
always, for my own part, included firemen and police officers who died in
the line of duty, since long before the 9-11 atrocity. It is fitting and
proper that we should remember the fallen separately; especially so, since
so many of them died without leaving children to carry on their names and
memories in that way.
Second, I would like to encourage all of you who can, to post here on this
list one or more of your own ancestors or other relatives who should be
remembered on Memorial Day. It would be nice if that person "connected"
with the list topic, but I would rather have you remember SOMEONE than to
feel restricted by list rules, just for this one day. For those who may not
be U.S. citizens or residents, please feel free to remember those who
"would have qualified" if they *had* been Americans. The call to duty and
honorable service is not a peculiarly American quality. And for those who
remember the origin of Memorial Day yet live "south of the Mason-Dixon
Line", I specifically invite you to include your Confederate soldier.
Whatever we may think of the relative value of the two causes, Union or
Confederacy, South or North, Slave or Free, I believe we can all recognize
that the common soldier usually fought and died for more fundamental things
than politics: home; family; comrades.
God bless, and never forget.
Darrell
list administrator
- son of Seaman First Class Clifton C. Martin, U.S.S. Hale, World War II
(South Pacific)
- Sergeant, United States Army, Vietnam
- and father of Petty Office Third Class Derrick A. Martin, U.S. Navy
(Electronics Technician, Nuclear)
who if my prayers are answered in the affirmative will never need
to be remembered on Memorial Day
RootsWeb List Admin - 5 VT and 1 MA location lists
Darrell A. Martin - 11 surnames lists
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