To all of my brothers and sisters in arms, those of you who have stood the watch and patrolled the dark and dangerous corners of the world:
Be proud of who you are and the uniform you wear.
Hold your head high, hold your honor dear, be true to your oath.
Stand steadfast by your duty even when there is no one to see.
Follow those who lead, and lead those who will follow.
Leave no one behind.
Remember the fallen. Always.
Thank you for your service and your sacrifice on this day, and every other.
//Jim Wright, Chief Warrant Officer, United States Navy (Retired).
Thank you too,Jim. Thanks for reminding us.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jim for your service.
ReplyDeleteThnks, Jim. Went for breakfast this A.M, and was treated to a free coffee with my meal. Waitress apologized for not having more to offer. I told her she needn't worry, it was far more than she realized.
ReplyDeleteIt's been more than 61 years since I first joined the Navy and I've enjoyed every day of it, even those in Korea's bitter winters and Vietnam's humid summers. I've rarely been thanked for the time I spend as a member of the Navy Medical Department, but I know that many I've helped over the years have been glad I was there when I was and that warms my heart. I'm sure you have your own memories. Treasure them.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jim
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jim.
ReplyDeleteJim, thank you for your service.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. It made me think a lot about my grandfather.
ReplyDelete"Leave noone behind." Have I got a story for you!
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/qkpYsVkW-n4
The recently declassified 944 list mentioned by the researcher in the top comment is about 700 names of mostly airmen who, despite being known POWs, were left behind and their families (mine) never informed.
I sang this song to various classes where I substitute taught all week. Today I asked if I could do it while co-teaching in a kindergarten class-- "NO!" said the teacher, "my brother was just depolyed to Afghanistan and I couldn't take it."
Jim, I always use the wrong hand and I have terrible form with no snap, but I salute you anyway.
ReplyDeleteOn Wednesday, Sgt. David Lemcke of Hilton, NY came home 43 years after being reported as MIA in Vietnam. More than 100 members of the Patriot Guard were on hand to escort his coffin back to his hometown. The local fire department hung a giant flag from their ladders above the street. How fitting that he finally came home so close to Veterans Day.
ReplyDeleteThanks to you, Jim, and to all those, past and present, who served and sacrificed.
My dad served in WW2 and Korea. He retired just before being sent to Vietnam, a good thing since by then he was a colonel and Vietnam could be unhealthy for colonels. I went to Berkeley, where the anti-soldier sentiment was totally confusing to me. So I did the only thing I could think to do - I put on my shortest mini-skirts and flirted like crazy with the soldiers at the Oak Knoll Naval Hospital where I went twice a week for medical treatments. I know there were much more politically astute things I could have done, but I was young and dumb and it was something. Although it was nothing compared to what those young guys had done....thank you to all of the soldiers, past and present, for your service and for making me able to live the life I do. Thank you Jim for your service and for sharing this blog.
ReplyDeleteEvery day is Memorial Day/Armistice Day. Anyone who doesn't get this will never get it. War is hell, but there are bad people who make it necessary. I'm sure you and almost everyone on both sides of every conflict would rather have stayed home with their families, but duty called. Thanks for your truly insightful writing on the subject.
ReplyDeleteFrom my Fb page:
ReplyDeleteThis is in deep gratitude for all who have served this country in both war and peace since the Revolutionary War and continue to preserve and protect. We owe everything we have to the brave few. Thank you American Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman, and Coastie you are the best of us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmCyWbHpARE&feature=share
Veterans' Day and Memorial Day are different... but only in the minds of those who don't know better.
ReplyDeleteI do not let those who do not understand the motivations of those of us who served define my sense of patriotism or duty.
And I still think that anyone who wishes to become a political leader who can order any aspect of the armed services into harm's way must first serve in the services.