A Time to Remember…

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in service to insure our freedom. Dear’s father Rex served in the army during WWII. He was not among the countless number who lost their lives during service but we are very grateful to all who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Our son in law Andrew is serving as a Marine and our appreciation grows daily for the all of the men and women who serve our country in the military. As we speak Andrew is involved in Fleet Week in New York. We hope our military are treated well on the streets of New York. I’m adding this link from Pat at Mille Fiori that she posted from Fleet Week and she captured two great shots of the ship our son-in-law Andrew is on, the U.S.S. Wasp. Semper Fi! And for the record from what we’ve heard from Andrew, New York has been very welcoming to our boys!

Dear’s father Rex’s service in 1985 was under a pavilion at the Riverside National Cemetery and we had never had a chance to visit his actual graveside. When we were at our nephew’s wedding last weekend we had a chance to visit the cemetery and find Rex’s graveside. We do not have a family tradition to spend time at gravesides as we hope in the fact that our loved ones are not here but with the Lord. It was still a good experience to finally see Rex’s gravestone.

The cemetery has a kiosk where you type in your loved ones name and they print out a site map on where you can find the graveside. We were impressed with how easy it was to find Rex’s buriel site. Here is a link to a post on the moving memorials featured at the Riverside National Cemetery.

Even though we know our loved one who is identified with Christ is not in this grave, it’s still gratifying to see what a peaceful setting his gravestone is situated in.

The whole time we were at the cemetery we kept looking up because there was an airshow at March Air Force Base which donated land for the Riverside National Cemetery and is adjacent to the cemetery.

After a hike and some good scouting by Dear and our daughter Katie we found Rex’s gravestone.

It really was good to finally see where Rex was buried. I was 7+ months pregnant with Katie for Rex’s funeral and a lot of this time was sketchy for me.

This was a very nice family time for us all in between all the fun celebration time with our extended family for our nephew’s/cousin’s wedding. While we were at the cemetery we had the wonderful experience to enjoy some amazing aerial views from an airshow at March Air Force Base.

From the cemetery we met up with extended family for lunch at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in Moreno Valley. What a great weekend it was to connect with family and get a special weekend time with Katie from North Carolina.

I’m joining in with Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. Hope all of you in the U.S.A. have had a moment to stop and consider and appreciate the memory of those who have laid down their lives for us…

A very meaningful Memorial Day to all of you!

Riverside National Cemetery

When we were in Southern California for our nephews wedding we made a special trip to Riverside National Cemetery where Dear’s father was buried in October of 1985 just a couple months before our Katie was born. I’ll post more photos of our search for Rex’s grave on Monday. Today I’m sharing some very dramatic memorials from the cemetery for this Memorial Day Weekend.

Riverside National Cemetery is the third-largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration, and since 2000 has been the most active in the system based on the number of interments. It was established in 1976 through the transfer of 740 acres from March Air Force Base, which during World War II was called the U.S. Army’s Camp William G. Haan. The cemetery was dedicated and opened for burials Nov. 11, 1978. An additional 181 acres was transferred by the Air Force in 2003.

The dramatic, meandering landscape features a central boulevard with memorial circles, lakes, indigenous-styled committal shelters, and a memorial amphitheater.

Riverside National cemetery is home of the Medal of Honor Memorial and one of four sites recognized as a National Medal of Honor Memorial Site. The Medal of Honor Memorial, whose walls feature the names of all medal recipients, is located at the third traffic circle in the cemetery. It was dedicated in 1999.

Walking up to the Medal of Honor Memorial you see each of the seals of the branches of service. Of course we have our favorite…

Several Medal Honor Recipients are buried at this cemetery.

The Fallen Soldier/Veterans’ Memorial, erected in 2000, is dedicated to all service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The dramatic bronze structure topped by a lifeless soldier is located near the lake at the entrance to the cemetery.

This and the POW/MIA Memorial were very moving…

The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action National Memorial was designated as a national memorial by the U.S. Congress in 2004 through Public Law 108-454. The memorial was dedicated on September 16, 2005. Vietnam veteran Lewis Lee Millett, Jr., sculpted the bronze statue which depicts an American serviceman on his knees with hands bound by his captors. The statue is surrounded by black marble pillars that evoke imprisonment.

While we were at the cemetery we had an unexpected treat. See everyone looking up? March Air Force Base was hosting an air show this weekend and we got a wonderful view of the Patriots Jet Team.

I’ll be sharing a lot more photos of the Patriots later next week.

On Monday I’ll share more from our time at the cemetery.

We are going to go on a little adventure on Saturday morning before we hunker down to do some work around this old house. Hope your weekend is going well.

A Day to Remember ~ Arlington National Cemetery

Remembering those who sacrificed for our country and praying for those who are serving our country now in harms way.

“Arlington, this place of so many memories, is a fitting place for some remembering. So many wonderful men and women rest here, men and women who led colorful, vivid, and passionate lives.” ~ Ronald Reagan

“All of these men were different, but they shared this in common: They loved America very much. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for her. And they loved with the sureness of the young. It’s hard not to think of the young in a place like this, for it’s the young who do the fighting and dying when a peace fails and a war begins.” ~ President Ronald Reagan

“Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It’s a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It’s a day to be with the family and remember.” President Ronald Reagan

This next photo is not from the Arlington National Cemetery but one I took at a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C.

“The monument was created as a service to those who might never travel to the nation’s capital to experience the Vietnam Veterans Memorial firsthand,” said Donna Wagner, director of Dignity Memorial providers in Seattle. “Our replica offers visitors a chance for healing and reflections, and we are very pleased to be able to share it with the community.” ~ Donna Wagner

Another quote from President Ronald Reagan ~ May 25, 2009

“I know that many veterans of Vietnam will gather today, some of them perhaps by the wall. And they’re still helping each other on. They were quite a group, the boys of Vietnam — boys who fought a terrible and vicious war without enough support from home, boys who were dodging bullets while we debated the efficacy of the battle. It was often our poor who fought in that war; it was the unpampered boys of the working class who picked up the rifles and went on the march. They learned not to rely on us; they learned to rely on each other. And they were special in another way: They chose to be faithful. They chose to reject the fashionable skepticism of their time. They chose to believe and answer the call of duty. They had the wild, wild courage of youth. They seized certainty from the heart of an ambivalent age; they stood for something.

And we owe them something, those boys. We owe them first a promise: That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, neither, ever, will we. And there are other promises. We must always remember that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance. We owe them a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and, perhaps, a resigned toughness, knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong.” ~ Ronald Reagan

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Prayers are always in our hearts and minds for our Son-in-law Andrew serving with the Marines!

We’re flying the flags for you Andrew!

Semper Fi!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Korean War Memorial

Because it’s Memorial Day Weekend and we were just in Washington D.C. I wanted to share some of the great War Memorials we visited. On Monday I have a post about Arlington National Cemetery and today I’m sharing photos from the Korean War Memorial during the day and at night. The interesting thing we learned from our Trolley Tour Guide is that Korean American visitors and visitors from Korea leave wreaths everyday at the Memorial.

When the Warrior Returns

When the warrior returns, from the battle afar,
To the home and the country he nobly defended,
O! Warm be the welcome to gladden his ear,
And loud be the joy that his perils are ended:
In the full tide of song let his fame roll along,
To the feast-flowing board let us gratefully throng,
Where, mixed with the olive, the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright wreath for the brows of the brave.

~ Francis Scott Key

Tablescape Thursday ~ Memorial Day

It’s time again to set the table! Please visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch to join in the fun. My tables lately have been “real”. What I mean by that is that there was an actual meal and people sitting down at them. I haven’t had time to play with tables much but I’ve had a few good occasions to enjoy having family over for a meal. We had a gathering for Memorial Day and this is what I came up with.

I used 3 different patterns of blue and white dishes with red chargers and napkins and star napkin holders.

It’s hard to tell but the lemon pound cake was made in a star shaped bundt pan, too. Stars were the major theme.

George and Martha adorned our table even though Memorial Day came about long after their time.

My basket is a star shaped one, too.

Besides praying for all those who are alive and serving our country in the military before our meal this day we chose to memorialize Dear’s father Rex who served in World War II in New Guinea.

My dear husband even made red and blue drinks to go with the theme.

Some of my decorations will stay around for June and all the way to July 4th since we have Flag Day and then our Independence Day celebrations! Blessings…

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Is It Tuesday Already?

Monday Holidays always throw me for a loop.

We had a great Memorial Day and we pulled out all the red, white and blue we could find. Dear even made some red and blue drinks.

Dear’s father served in New Guinea during World War II. He was front and center at our Memorial Day observance.

There were 7 of us around the table enjoying our barbecued steak, corn on the cob, baked potatoes and salad. We had a lemon pound cake with strawberries and blueberries for dessert along with Nazook that my sister Lana had baked.

After nonstop rain and clouds for several days running we finally had a sun break in the afternoon the girls headed out to the deck to see if they could get their daily requirement of Vitamin D!!

It’s going to take me a while to catch up with all of you. First I have to get used to it being Tuesday already and being behind a day…

I’m going to link this to Ruby Tuesday…since it’s Tuesday already. Thanks to Mary at Work of the Poet for our Ruby fun…

Memorial Day Tribute ~ Home on the Range ~ Dickenson

Memorial Day Greetings to you. God bless our Troops and Veterans!

For Memorial Day weekend I’m posting this quote from Home On the Range ~ A Century On The High Plains by James R. Dickenson.

Home on the Range chronicles the epic drama of the settling and development of the High Plains, as viewed through the saga of journalist James Dickenson’s family and the wheat-farming community of McDonald, Kansas.

He speaks of Dear’s mother, my MIL Verna who’s father and brothers served in civilian and military duties in World War II. Verna was a school teacher in a one room schoolhouse in Kansas before she married Rex (Dear’s father), who also served in World War II.

“The father of my fifth-grade teacher, Verna Moline, a pretty young woman whom I adored, was a civilian construction worker on Midway Island at the time. His family obviously had many anxious moments about him until the naval battle of Midway, a turning point in the war in the Pacific, ended the threat that Midway would suffer Wake Island’s fate of invasion and occupation by the Japanese. He returned safely shortly thereafter. On days when the news was particularly dire, we kids would crowd around her desk before class to ask anxiously about him and voice our sympathies – probably seeking reassurance ourselves in those dark early days of defeat at the hands of the Japanese. However, as my mother, who was teaching English in the high school at the time, finally pointed out, our constant solicitude was something Miss Moline probably could have done without, although she was too gracious to show it.”

Remember our troops and pray. If you know someone who served our country give them a hug and a thank you. Blessings on this Memorial Day Weekend!

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/dichom.html

FFF ~ Memorial Day Weekend

Time to think about our favorites from this past week. Please visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in this great exercise.

Canada celebrated Queen Victoria Day last weekend and we in the U.S.A. are getting ready for our Memorial Day Weekend. This is a time to reflect and remember those who have served our country in the past and who are serving our country now. I’m an American who is proud of what our country stands for and proud of the men and women who have courageously fought to keep us safe and free. My parents are legal immigrants who have become citizens of the U.S.A. Dear’s father, uncles and grandfather served in the military. Now I’ll get on to my favorites from this past week.

1. Spending extended time with my children. Before the Sounders game on Saturday Dear, Katie, Josh, Laura and I had brunch together and then Josh, Laura and I headed to the game. It was great to be together.

2. On Tuesday Katie had a minor medical emergency which ended up being a time we were able to spend 6 hours together. We went to the doctor, had a nice lunch and shopped. Things worked out well for her and it was encouraging to her for me to be there to support her.

3. Dear and I met some good friends for a meal together and it was nice catching up on our lives.

4. Our middle son Dan called this week and he was ready to talk and it was comforting for me hearing about the details of his life right now.

5. We are plugging away with the details of our garage sale on Saturday. I’m thankful that things have come together and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. In the midst of all the sorting and planning I was able to get some red, white and blue decorations up for our house to get in the spirit of this long weekend.

To all of you in the U.S.A. a very Happy Memorial Day weekend to you. If you know a veteran or someone serving our country give them a hug from me…

I Would Rather…

…be thinking about celebrating like this…

…then getting all our crap stuff ready for our garage sale on Saturday! We have the stuff all piled in the shop and I’m suppose to get out there and organize it onto tables to pull out bright and early Saturday morning. It’s hard to get motivated with the steady rain that is falling today. So if you don’t see me come up for air until Monday you’ll know what’s ailing me….garagesaleitis. I have a re-post ready for Memorial Day weekend but I don’t anticipate much more happening here.

Hope all is well with all of you…

Friday’s Fave Fives ~ Memorial Weekend

My favorites for this week are all from Seattle. Sweet Susanne from Living to Tell the Story is our gracious hostess for this event. Click on over to join in or to see more favorites!

1. Enjoying time with our kids. We ate together, shopped at Goodwill together, worked together, watched soccer together, and played Rock Band together. Fun times.

2. Enjoying the Sunshine in Seattle. There’s nothing like a sunshiny day in the Seattle Area. It was even warmer than Camarillo.

3. Getting our house semi-organized now that the tile is down in the basement. We were able to move things back to where they belong and freed up our guest room area again. We still have a lot to do in the basement to call it “done”. That will be our summer project.

4. Eating out after all our hard work instead of eating in and creating more dishes to wash :0)

5. Walks in the Seattle area when it’s a little cloudy with the sun peeking through…wonderful. Click here to see all the birds I saw at Juanita Bay Park.

Hope you all have had a good week. I look forward to reading about your favorites!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: Memorial Day