US Armed Forces Day--May 20, 2006

[Bravo]

Many countries have a Veteran’s Day or Remembrance Day
to honor those who served and sacrificed for their countries
and many of these same countries have an Armed Forces
Day to honor those and their families currently serving their
countries in the armed forces. The US does so on the third
Saturday of May and I would like to take a moment to thank
all the EF members serving and “making a difference” in this
world. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the
family members of those serving and for the sacrifices they
are also making.

US Armed Forces Day
"America Supports You"
Saturday, May 20, 2006

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to
come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support
of our country.

Armed Forces Day Quotations:

"The heritage of freedom must be guarded as carefully in peace as it was in war.
Faith, not suspicion, must be the key to our relationships. Sacrifice, not selfishness,
must be the eternal price of liberty. Vigilance, not appeasement, is the byword of
living freedoms.” - General Omar N. Bradley

"Real security lies in the prevention of war--and today that hope can come only
through adequate preparedness." - General Omar N. Bradley, 1951

"Armed Forces Day this year should serve to emphasize the practical application
of unification in action, and to remind us of the continued need for unity in our
Armed Forces and among all of our citizens in the interests of security and peace."
- Robert D. Lovett, Former Secretary of Defense

"It is fitting and proper that we devote one day each year to paying special tribute
to those whose constancy and courage constitute one of the bulwarks guarding the
freedom of this nation and the peace of the free world."
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953

"Today let us, as Americans, honor the American fighting man. For it is he--the
soldier, the sailor, the Airman, the Marine--who has fought to preserve freedom. It
is his valor that has given renewed hope to the free world that by working together
in discipline and faith our ideals of freedom will always prevail."
- Admiral Forrest P. Sherman

"...Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces,
for without them, there will be no other rights to guard."
- President John F. Kennedy, 1962

"Only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt
that they will never be employed." - President John F. Kennedy, 1962

"... Our Servicemen and women are serving throughout the world as guardians of
peace--many of them away from their homes, their friends and their families. They
are visible evidence of our determination to meet any threat to the peace with
measured strength and high resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh but
inescapable truth--that the survival of freedom requires great cost and commitment,
and great personal sacrifice." - President John F. Kennedy, 1963

"Armed Forces Day, above all, honors the dedicated individuals who wear the
uniforms of their country. Each serviceman, wherever he may be, whatever his
task, contributes directly and importantly to the defense of the nation. The task of
each one is the task of all the Armed Forces: to protect the freedoms which
underlie the greatness of America." - General Earle G. Wheeler, 1967

"Our servicemen and women shoulder the burden of defense as one of the
responsibilities of citizenship in this free country. Having participated in protecting
our rights and having met oppression on the battlegrounds of the world, they are
able to appreciate and savor the blessings of citizenship in the country they serve."
- The Honorable Melvin Laird, 1970

"It is our most earnest hope that those who are in positions of peril, that those who
have made exceptional sacrifices, yes, and those who are afflicted with plain
drudgery and boredom, may somehow know that we hold them in exceptional
esteem. Perhaps if we are a little more conscious of our debt of honored affection
they may be a little more aware of how much we think of them."
- New York Times Article



If you have the opportunity, please take the time today,
tomorrow or any day to thank a military member for their
service. Don’t hesitate to extend that appreciation to a
spouse, parent or child of a service member…it takes so
little, and means so much.

[griffo2]

We have ANZAC day here in Australia...It is a national holiday to remember the fallen and all those who served.It stands for Australian,New Zealand Army Core that faught in the 1st world war...that core no longer exists today but it is still cellebrated as a day of rememberence.
The crowds are growing every year yet the marchers from all wars are getting smaller....god bless them all,lest we forget.

[bluebird]

I extend my heartfelt thanks

and gratitude to you, Bravo, and all the EF Warriors.

I will display our flag in your honor.

[aircru]

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.

He stays up for days on end.
__________________________

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.

He goes days or weeks without running water.
__________________________

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.

He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
__________________________

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.< /SPAN>

He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
__________________________

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.

He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
__________________________

You talk trash on your "buddies" that aren't with you.

He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

__________________________

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.

He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
__________________________

You complain about how hot it is.

He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
__________________________

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.

He does not get to eat today.
__________________________


You go to the mall and get your hair or nails done.

He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
__________________________

You are angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.

He is told he will be held an extra 2 months.
__________________________


You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night.

He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
__________________________

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.

He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
__________________________

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.

He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
__________________________

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.

He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own government and remembers why he is fighting.
__________________________

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of the men like him.

He hears the gun fire and bombs.
__________________________

You see only what the media wants you to see.

He sees the bodies lying around him.
__________________________

You crawl into your bed, with down pillows, and try to get comfortable.

He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gun fire.
__________________________

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is a worse place because of men like him.

If only there were more men and women like him.