Lest We Forget..

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm guilty! Yep, just like the rest of you, I've done it. You get so caught up in the "holiday" thing that you forget exactly what today is all about. Memorial day. Alot of people really do forget what its about.

With both Studmuffin & myself having long lines of family history in the country pre-dating the Rev. War, sometimes you just take it all for granted. We all do, that's why its easy to forget. Studmuffin probably has more Rev. War solders in his tree than any other person I know. I've got more civil war than he does, with one family loosing five of six sons. I won't go into the list of relatives who served, I've chosen two of mine to honor with photo's today - My dad's dad (my grandfather), David Ansley who is proudly posed above in his uniform and the other of my uncle Gary, shown above during his service in Vietnam.

I contemplated for a short time including a photograph of one of the military pictures I have showing the headstones, those smallish white ones that our government provides, a sea of those going as far as the eye can see. They are overwhelming and visiting one of the military cemeteries very quickly puts into perspective just how many have paid the ultimate price for this country and the freedoms we enjoy.

Instead I choose to put the statue of liberty instead. Celebrating the freedoms that those who have paid that ultimate price have died for. Do I agree with every battle that we've gotten into? NO. Do I support those troops that are in those battles? Absolutly! Can I put that there without fear of retribution? You bet I can! And for those freedoms that we have & take for granted every day I say THANK YOU to those who wear the uniforms of this country. Regardless of what war, in what century, we owe those men & women a HUGE thank you!

From a genealogical standpoint I'd love to discuss military records but somehow I think I'll just sit here & wave my flag and remember those who have gone before me and secured those freedoms that I enjoy so much. The miltary record post will wait another day...