Monday's podcast: A chat with Frank Burke, businessman and author about Memorial Day

 

Monday's podcast:   

A chat with Frank Burke, businessman and author about Memorial Day.....

Nathan Aguirre is what this day is all about

Nathan Aguirre is what this day is all about: What exactly is Memorial Day all about?  It's about remembering the fallen or the ones who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We remember Nathan Aguirre, the young man from our church killed in Iraq.  

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Nathan Aguirre is what this day is all about - American Thinker https://t.co/qBt6Zk1JtG

— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) May 27, 2024

A thought about Memorial Day

We take a minute from political opinions to remember all of the heroes on Memorial Day.  

In my case, I will remember a young man named Nathan Aguirre who died in Iraq in 2006. 

I know Nathan’s parents. His dad and I are church ushers. His mom is a beautiful person who is now working with other families who lost sons in Iraq.

Nathan Aguirre is a real hero. Remember him and his parents today!

Over the years, we’ve heard many messages on Memorial Day. I like this one from President Bush in 2003: 

“On Memorial Day, Americans place flags on military graves, walk past a wall of black granite in Washington, D.C., and many families think of a face and voice they miss so much. 

Today, we honor the men and women who have worn the nation’s uniform and were last seen on duty. 

From the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan, to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, to the trials of World War, to the struggles that made us a nation, today we recall that liberty is always the achievement of courage.”

Happy Memorial Day and remember the real meaning of this “day off” from work!   

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

It's important to remember why we have a day off

(My new American Thinker post)

Like most of you, I will enjoy a "family day" and eat too much.  

We have three grandchildren now so we need more food these days.  

 

On this Memorial Day holiday, the U.S. could use a lesson from our ancestors because there are too many people around who want us to forget our history or devalue its importance.  Sadly, they want us to hate the country rather than love its unique history.

So let's remember why we take a day off today.  

My guess is that all countries have one day to remember those who have paid the ultimate price, as President Lincoln said.  In the U.S., we call it Memorial Day and it has a long history. 

Let’s start with the Civil War (1861-65) and “Decoration Day“:    

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

Later, it became Memorial Day after World War I and World War II:    

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Looking back today and reading about Decoration Day, I am amazed how our ancestors were willing to decorate the graves of northern and southern soldiers.  It’s a good lesson for those who want to remove Confederate statues.  Sometimes the best way to heal is to honor the dead rather than selectively remove them from history.

Remember what Memorial Day is about.  It's the best way to honor their sacrifice.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

We remember Don Williams (1939-2017)

We remember Don Williams who was born in Texas on this day in 1939.   He died in 2017.

Don started with The Pozo-Seco Singers along with Lofton Kline plus Susan Taylor.  I understand that they had a connection to Corpus Christi, TX.

We know that Don Williams went on to have a country music career.  However, I don't know about the other two.

The trio recorded some very nice songs.  

I love "Time", now available in a digital format:

"Some people run, some people crawl,

Some people don't even move at all

Some roads lead forward some roads lead back

Some roads are bathed in light, some wrapped in fearful black

Time oh time where did you go

Time oh good, good time where did you go

Some people never get, some never give

Some people never die and some never live

Some folks treat me mean, some treat me kind

Most folks just go their way, don't pay me any mind

Time oh time where did you go

Time oh good, good time where did you go

Sometimes I'm satisfied, sometimes I'm not

Sometimes my face is cold, sometimes it's hot

Sunset I laugh, sunrise I cry

At midnight I'm in between and wondering why

Time oh time where did you go

Time oh good good time where did you go

Time oh time where did you go

Time oh good good time where did you go....."

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day is about remembering all of those who died serving their country. 

Take a minute and attend a parade or just remember the meaning of this day.

We are very happy to see this: 74% Have Favorable Opinion of U.S. Military

The US military is a wonderful institution, from defending our freedoms to developing young men.   

On Memorial Day, we remember the soldier who gave his life.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Memorial Day thoughts

Memorial Day is a special American holiday.  My guess is that all countries have one day to remember those who have paid the ultimate price, as President Lincoln said.  In the US, we call it Memorial Day and it has a long history. 

Let’s start with the war between the states or The Civil War (1861-65) and “Decoration Day“:    

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

Later, it became Memorial Day after World War I and World War II:    

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Looking back today and reading about Decoration Day, I am amazed how our ancestors were willing to decorate the graves of northern and southern soldiers.  It’s a good lesson for those who want to remove statues.  Sometimes the best way to heal is to honor the dead rather than selectively remove them from history.

Remember their sacrifice on Memorial Day.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Explaining Memorial Day to friends

Memorial Day is a special American holiday.  My guess is that all countries have one day to remember those who have paid the ultimate price, as President Lincoln said.  In the US, we call it Memorial Day and it has a long history. 

Let’s start with the war between the states or The Civil War (1861-65) and “Decoration Day“:    

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

Later, it became Memorial Day after World War I and World War II:    

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Looking back today and reading about Decoration Day, I am amazed how our ancestors were willing to decorate the graves of northern and southern soldiers.  It’s a good lesson for those who want to remove statues.  Sometimes the best way to heal is to honor the dead rather than selectively remove them from history.

Remember their sacrifice on Memorial Day.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember Nathan Aguirre (1984-2006)

We remember Nathan Aguirre, the young man from our church killed in Iraq. 

This is from the obituary:   

Nathan was born December 11, 1984, in San Antonio, Texas. His family later moved to Carrollton, where Nathan met his best friend, Joseph Posenecker, at a church gathering. Joseph described Nathan as a leader and a responsible person. “Always keeping us in line,” Joseph said of his friend, “He was very outgoing and wanted to be the best at everything.” Nathan’s family remembers his always adventurous spirit. 
He enjoyed rock climbing so much so that he volunteered at his local climbing gym in order to climb for free. He later became a rock climbing instructor at the gym. Nathan was also passionate about being a Boy Scout, said his mother, Mary. He even designated the Boy Scouts as one of his life insurance beneficiaries. “Boy Scouts presented him with structured adventures and learning along with teaching him leadership skills, responsibility, integrity and loyalty that he embraced with such happiness,” his mother said.
Nathan always longed to serve his country. He joined the Army Reserves while still in high school, putting off plans to attend Texas A&M University to study architecture. 
“He didn’t want to wait four years to go into the service,” Nathan’s father, Louis, said about his son. “He wanted to serve.” 
SPC Aguirre blogged about his experiences in Iraq on his MySpace page. Since his death, his page on the social networking site has turned into an online memorial. 

Nathan's death reminds us that we live in a dangerous world. We are grateful that young men like Nathan are willing to serve their country.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1993: Dale Murphy retired

Dale Murphy retired on this day in 1993.   

Murphy broke with the Braves at the end of 1976.    He won two NL MVP awards and was one of the best players in the game for a dozen seasons.

He stayed with the Braves until 1990.   He finished in Philadelphia for a couple of seasons and the Colorado in 1993.

His career numbers were awesome:  398 HR & 1,266 RBI.  He led the NL in HR in 1984 and 1985.

Murphy didn’t get to play with all of those great Braves’ teams of the 1990s.   He was gone by the time that the Braves were winning all of the titles.

Great player.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

May 27, 1974: Big day for Ken Brett

We know of George Brett, the great Hall of Fame third baseman with the Royals.    His brother Ken was also a major leaguer and played for several teams.

On this day in 1974, Ken had quite a day:   

In game 1, he took a no hitter to the 9th inning but settled for a 6-0 shutout.  In game 2, Brett’s two-run pinch triple gave Pittsburgh a 8-7 win.

Quite a day for Ken!

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, drop a dime here.

Let's remember those who paid the full price!

(My American Thinker post)

Another day and another opportunity to make my presentation at GID, a Latin American Group in the Dallas area.  We formed this group back in 1992 for fellowship and to learn more about roots.  Over the years, we've had speakers an guests from Latin America and we hear about the many traditions south of the border, and I mean all the way down to Argentina.

So I gave my annual presentation about Memorial Day, a special American holiday.  My guess is that all countries have one day to remember those who have paid the ultimate price, as President Abraham Lincoln said.  In the U.S., we call it Memorial Day and it has a long history. 

Let’s start with the War Between the States or the Civil War (1861-65) and “Decoration Day“:    

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

In 1968, it became Memorial Day.    

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Looking back today and reading about Decoration Day, I am impressed at the dedication of all of those who decorated the graves of northern and southern soldiers.  Over time, we see celebrations for the fallen of recent wars, too. The wars where we may have a connection to the fallen soldier, as I did with Nathan Aguirre, a young man from our church  killed in Iraq.

Every year I hear the same comments about how Americans respect and honor their veterans.  It’s different in most Latin American countries where military service is not something people talk about.

Remember their sacrifice on Memorial Day.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.