the fugative

On this day to remember those men and women who gallantly paid the ultimate price to vouchsafe our freedom and American way of life, Offered
here to you these timeless words about bravery, honor, sacrifice:



The Day is done

Gone the sun

From the lakes

From the hills

From the sky

All is well

Safely rest

God is nigh

— TAPS

Heroism feels and never reasons and therefore is always right.

— RALPH WALDO EMERSON

We are met on a great battlefield. … We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who died here that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

— ABRAHAM LINCOLN, GETTYSBURG ADDRESS

Sacrifice is nothing other than the production of sacred things.

— GEORGES BATAILLE

A nation which makes the final sacrifice for life and freedom does not get beaten.

— MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK

The true courage of civilized nations is readiness for sacrifice in the service of the state, so that the individual counts as only one amongst many. The important thing here is not personal mettle but aligning oneself with the universal.

— GEORG WILHELM FRIEDRICH HEGEL

There are in every generation those who shrink from the ultimate sacrifice, but there are in every generation those who make it with joy and laughter and these are the salt of the generations.

— PATRICK HENRY PEARSE

The great, the fundamental need of any nation, any race, is for heroism, devotion, sacrifice; and there cannot be heroism, devotion, or sacrifice in a primarily skeptical spirit.

— ANNA JULIA COOPER

This embattled shore, portal of freedom, is forever hallowed by the ideas, valor and sacrifice of our fellow countrymen.

— MONUMENT INSCRIPTION ON NORMANDY COAST

Any citizen should be willing to give all that he has to give his country in work or sacrifice in times of crisis.

— ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

I called to my men: "This is a good day to die. Follow me."

— LOW DOG, OGLALA WARRIOR

The soldier, above all other men, is required to perform the highest act of religious teaching — sacrifice. In battle and in the face of danger and death he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when He created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute instincts can take the place of the divine annunciation and spiritual uplift which will alone sustain him.

— GEN. DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

Our fathers who have maintained our country in freedom for us have offered us their life in sacrifice; so let them be an example to you!

— EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE I

I consider it no sacrifice to die for my country. In my mind we came here to thank God that men like these have lived rather than to regret that they have died.

— GEN. GEORGE PATTON

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse.

— JOHN STUART MILL

Hail, Columbia! happy land!

Hail, ye heroes! heaven-born band!

Who fought and bled in Freedom's cause,

Who fought and bled in Freedom's cause,

And when the storm of war was gone,

Enjoyed the peace your valor won.

Let independence be our boast,

Ever mindful what it cost.

— JOSEPH HOPKINSON

War never takes a wicked man by chance, the good man always.

— SOPHOCLES

It is held

That valor is the chiefest virtue, and

Most dignifies the haver.

— WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

If the state is at peace and is as well-governed as a human community can be, then the citizen's loyalty to his country, his services to it in the forms of energy, devotion, and funds, in general coincide with his own vital interests. The fatherland repays his loyalty by giving him safety, justice, and sometimes even freedom. In fulfilling his patriotic duties he is not performing an act of love. Only when the fatherland is in danger does his giving become a sacrifice, his serving a suffering, his loyalty a love.

— JOHAN HUIZINGA

Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because it is the quality that guarantees all others.

— WINSTON CHURCHILL

Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,

Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking;

Dream of battled fields no more,

Days of danger, nights of waking.

— SIR WALTER SCOTT

Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.

— INSCRIPTION ON THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS, ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

When it comes time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

— CHIEF AUPUMUT OF THE MOHICANS

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row.

— JOHN MCCRAE




Hug a Vet Today

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{{{secret Pal****
Hold out bait to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

The early bird might get the worm, but it's the second mouse who gets the cheese

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
- Albert Einstein

nanajoanie

This is a wonderful, very appropiate Memorial Day item to read. This was my favorite from the list:

— GEN. GEORGE PATTON

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse.

The reason this is my favorite, I saw on the news a few nights ago, the reporter asked senior high school kids about the draft and if they would fight for their country. Most of them said no because war is scary or you might die. Where do they think the freedom to say that came from???

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Toodles, Nanajoanie

Angel Lips

very nice post. happy memorial day everyone

jaybird

((((Fugi)))) Thank you.

Here's something else:

Dear Janel,

Every day as I travel around the country, I'm thinking about our soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. In times of peace, but especially in times of war, a tour of duty is hard; you spend months away from your family and friends in countries thousands of miles away, performing one of the most dangerous jobs on earth.

In Vietnam, I learned about the promises that soldiers make to each other; the meaning of leadership; the dangers of a government that is not accountable; and the knowledge of what the costs of war are for the individual soldiers, their families, and our country. We can never let politics get in the way of what is best for our troops. We have to always put the life of a private on the battlefield, the sailor on a patrol, or the airman in the belly of a plane first.

We need to make a commitment that we will never leave our veterans behind and must do our part to care for those who have faced the horrors of battle. This is not only about keeping our nation's promises; but about honoring those who defend it.

Our military must be second to none; our troops must be taken care of when sent into harm's way, and when we bring them home, they should be given the respect they're due. My Dad taught me these lessons when he served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

The Greatest Generation is passing on their torch and their sacrifice will live as long as freedom does. I remember my father and thank those who are still here for their service.

No matter how we feel about our current conflict in Iraq, no matter how critical we are of our efforts to win the peace, this Memorial Day we must have one priority: supporting our troops so they can accomplish their mission and return home as soon as possible. Those who put their lives on the line for their country deserve our support, admiration, and respect. .

Today we honor all soldiers past and present who have risked their lives for our country and the values of freedom and liberty we represent. We owe them a debt of gratitude no words can possibly express.

Sincerely,
John Kerry

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Pacifist: Someone who has the nutty idea that killing people is a bad thing.