” Timeless Voices “

“Memorial Day“, not just in the U.S. but around the world, is a day of remembrance. When I was little, I remembered my father being in the Navy and I ran up and down the rows of sailors, after his long tour, looking for him. Thinking back on my childhood and being raised between an Army base and Air Force base, I realized the impact that it had on me. Working in the summers and after school, watching everything stop… cars, people and sports events, because at 5:00 pm, a cannon and then a bugle would play as the flag was lowered. You learn to stop, you remember not just someone, but a name, then a face, and always the family that it impacted upon. It’s important to remember their voices no matter how painful it might be because… only we can hear them now.

The quotes below were taken from “Dear America” by Bernard Edelman and “Letters From Vietnam” by Bill Adler.

“We are your sons America, and you cannot change that.

When you awake we will still be here.”

                                                                                                                                                                                               Cpl. W.D. Ehrhart, Marine Corps.

“Some of the guys had tears in their eyes and you just want

to hold their hand or something, so you just smile.”

Barbara J. Lilly, American Red Cross

“We’re not supermen… and we’re not about to walk into bars,

where the music automatically stops at our entrance…”

Sp/4 George Olsen, Army Ranger

“But it was the last two choppers crammed with bodies that

I hope I can forget someday.”

Capt. Bobbie MacLean Fry, Army Nurse

“Save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance

when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.”

Maj. Michael Davis O’Donnell, Helicopter Pilot

“Don’t mourn me, mother, for I’m happy I died fighting my

country’s enemies, and I will live forever in people’s minds.”

Pvt.1st.Class Hiram D. Strickland, Army

“Be a good boy and I want you to know that I’m the proudest and luckiest father

in the world to have such a fine son as you. I am glad you chose

me to be your father.”

CS1. James C. Kline, Navy

“I turned my head and looked away, I fought the words I could

not say. HE’S DEAD. He’s dead and gone, but I am

here and must go on.”

1Lt. Timothy Schlink, Army

“It seems at times that we are gilded leaves feeling the first

chill winds of winter that will blow us away.”

Sp/4 Rob Riggan, Army

“The rock-solid values expressed by American citizen-soldiers, epitomizes

the motivation that has been a guide from the time of

George Washington through today’s conflicts.”

Al Santoli, Author