Memorial Day is to remember the dead, and not the living. The first observance of Memorial Day was by freed Black men. Originally called Decoration Day, 257 black soldiers recalled memories of those fellow Union brothers at arms.

I heard a lot of people at the parade commenting on their pride of the living veterans that were there, and my church identified the living veterans as well.
This day is for the dead. We should not diminish the memories of those who died by giving credit to the living. The living already have a day to celebrate!

It’s important to define the two; the dead and the living. The dead took the place of living bodies in wartime. We are to be happy for the service of the dead and to live so that their death was not in vain. I was very happy to be able to come home from the Gulf war with all of my fellow Marines and Airmen. Had I died, I would have hoped that my life would have made a difference. If my death could save two, it was a good trade!

We owe the dead to make their death a positive move. We owe our dead to learn so that less and less will die in the future. This can be with superior firepower, and can be with superior education and tolerance.

As America sat back and watched Hitler invade the lands of our allies and attempt to extinguish a whole race of people, we needed to have a bigger reason to fight. Our constitution said that we needed a declaration of war, and until the Pearl Harbor attacks, we had no dog in the race. With that declaration of WAR, Americans old and young alike, signed up to any service that would take them. After a while, the draft begun, and more people that could be drafted signed up like it was what they were born to do! I talked with many who were in Pearl Harbor when the hell came from the sky out of nowhere. I heard many stories about the last words of so many being that they hoped they made a difference! They all did!

Today we abuse the spirit of our Felled and living military as we go around the globe being the policeman with some sort of implied responsibility and auhority to rid the world of terrorism and people who shout bad things at us. I would hate to be in the same room with the WWII dead if they would ever wake to find out what we have done with our duty to uphold and support the US constitution.

This Memorial Day I am sorry that so many fine military men and women have died in foreign lands when there was no immediate threat to the USA or a declaration of war to authorize military actions.

I Pledge Allegiance to The Flag of the United States of America and the Republic to which it stands. I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

I support our troops that do the same! Illegal orders are not orders to be followed!

“I was only following orders,” has been unsuccessfully used as a legal defense in hundreds of cases (probably most notably by Nazi leaders at the Nuremberg tribunals following World War II). The defense didn’t work for them, nor has it worked in hundreds of cases since.

I Support the troops that follow Legal orders. Fighting in an illegal war is illegal! Houston we have a problem!

I followed illegal orders in the Gulf War like everyone else. I have family that has been there since.

As I drive past the Muslim Community Center on South Mulford Rd. each week I think about our military overseas without legal standing to be there according to the US Constitution.
As I remember or military dead, I am so sorry that they had to die in police actions that are against the law we live by and say we support.

This Memorial Day I hope that we all read our copy of the US Constitution. Hate me for saying it, but find out why so many presidents and government officials ignore our constitution as if it is what they are supposed to do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnnLrmboOYE