Tag: Memorials

Mar 12 2010

The Brits Honoring Their Fallen {and thoughts of a Memorial}

I started this out this morning just collecting a few reports to post at my site on new news of the Iraq War Inquiries. I quickly ran into a number of reports of a moving re-dedication of a memorial that once stood in Basra Iraq and started there to Honor the Fallen British Soldiers by their brothers serving in that occupation.

The reason my first intention grew was what these reports spoke as to that Honor and those, the families of as well as friends and advocates, who wanted that Iraq Memorial moved back to Britain and placed where all can visit and dwell on these recent years, over for the British Soldiers in Iraq but not our soldiers there nor for the Brits, Ours and the NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Nov 11 2008

Memorials

Today, as many know or should know, is Veterans Day, or actually many who observe call it what it was intended to be called, Armistice Day.

On this day in a U.S. occupation of anothers country, that seems so long ago but isn’t, and which I served ’70-’71, the following happened:

November 11, 1972

The U.S. Army turned over its massive military base at Long Binh to the South Vietnamese army, symbolizing the end of direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. The last American forces, however, did not leave until 1975.

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April 29 – Corporal Charles McMahon, Jr., and Lance Corporal Darwin Judge, USMC, are the last US military personnel killed in Vietnam. They are struck during a rocket attack at the US Embassy in Saigon, during the final North Vietnamese attack on the government.

April 30 – At 7:53 a.m., 11 US Marines (the last of 865 Marines assigned to guard the US Embassy) carrying the American flag, are airlifted from the US Embassy rooftop helipad. Three hours later the Vietnam war finally ends when North Vietnamese tanks break into the Presidential Palace.

May 11 2008

Final Salute

Remember this photo? I’m sure you’ve seen it a dozen times as it’s made it’s way around the web. Her name is Katherine Cathey and she’s a mother, a mother of a son who never met his father Marine 2nd. Lt. Jim Cathey. Katherine mentions this photo in a video, of which I’ll give you the link to in a moment, one you should view.