Decoration Day 2010

These shall be my wreath today for all who have fallen in war.

Red

White

Blue

Almighty God, we remember before you today your faithful servants whose lives were laid down on behalf of others; and we pray that, having opened to them the gates of larger life, you will receive them more and more into your joyful service, that, with all who have faithfully served you in the past, they may share in the eternal victory of Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

And for the living:

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

--the BB

Decoration Day 2009 - updated

God of love and mercy, receive our thanks this day for the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. Help us to honor them in our work for peace through justice, that people across the globe may live abundant lives freed from the threat of war and violence. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

UPDATE:

I added no comments earlier because I really had no words to add. Now I would like to add these (borrowed) comments:

Each and every one of these deaths left a hole in the world. That is why we count them.

They mattered.

h/t to Susan Russell for the prayer and Mimi for the photo

--the BB

Memorial Day 2008

Don Mikulecky has a post up that begins thus:

Shame on you all!
by don mikulecky

Thu May 29, 2008 at 09:36:00 PM PDT

That's what the BBC is saying to Americans today. Memorial Day smells still linger on in our homes and we are greeted with these headlines:
US army suicides at record level
US veterans sue over 'poor care'
Veterans 'quarter of US homeless'
It is a bit overwhelming to see these listed on the BBC site. We talk about these things here, but we do little else. Our mercenary military seems to be a conversation piece but it does not really get us very excited. I'm one of those people over 70 (Sorry Hillary, not this veteran) who is looking forward to electing a president who will care about this. I am looking forward to electing a congress who will care about this. Yet I look at these headlines and feel a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. ...

Indeed. Shame on the United States for treating its military so poorly, for giving our veterans such shoddy care, for acting as though nothing were wrong when the suicide rate among veterans and soldiers is soaring.

Perhaps we would best honor those who lost their lives for this country by taking care of those offering their lives now and in the recent past.

Update:
For Memorial Day (today IS the day, you know), visit our friend johnieb.
--the BB

Memorial Day 2008

Just click. Read. Remember. Honor. Mourn.



Image from here
--the BB

For those who serve in the armed forces

h/t to Susan Russell

--the BB

Today...

This afternoon as I arrived in New Orleans I walked past about 8 soldiers waiting to board. I looked them in the eyes and said, "Thanks to you all for serving." There was a variety of responses, including: "You're welcome" and "No problem."

I try to say this to every man and woman in uniform. And I mean it. But there was a problem. After I walked past them I wondered how many would make it out of the service alive. And I wondered what horrors they have already faced and may face in the future. And I tried not to completely lose it right there in the terminal.

Juan Cole has a sobering post up for Memorial Day. I commend it to you all.

A tidbit:

Investigative reporters at CBS News found that in 2005, 6,250 veterans took their lives, nearly 18 a day.

Another:

19 percent of post-Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been diagnosed with possible traumatic brain injury, according to a Rand Corp. Study in April.

The toll of the Iraq War is clearly far higher than the number approaching 5,000 that I post here almost daily.

His conclusion:

I think all of us Americans fall down crying this time every year. We want it to be over with.

Yep.
--the BB