[Closed] Memorial Day/Veteran's Day

Thanks for your info. I've explained the difference to many in the past. One of the companies I worked for in the past had a group of veterans like myself would meet in a parking lot at 11:00 a.m. on 11/11 (Veterans Day) to observe a minute of silence for those of us who didn't make it home. A prayer, led by one of us who had become a Christian Minister followed, praising all who have served1.

Veterans Day, a day where MOST veterans have to go to work while a lot of NON- veterans have it off.

The sad part today...

...is that the ACLU would go ballistic over the prayer & far too many people would think you're nuts for saluting veterans. As a veteran, I'm personally offended by today's attitudes, especially in light of the thousands of men & women who are bravely serving on the front lines of foreign soil.

Lucky me...I work for a company that observes Veteran's Day.

Ha! You're probably right! I think it's like asking "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?" The names ...

... accurately describe the days.

Terrance I agree but with a thought, that being the reason none of our kids know anything is The

SCHOOLS DON'T teach HISTORY ANYMORE only the parents and they have monumentally failed too. Most of that is because only "HIP" things are important like, the last TV Program of Big Bang Theory? or some other equally stupid thing. I frankly don't watch TV but the neighbors around me well let's say they get upset if you interrupt their TV Program, never mind the lawn needs mowing at their house the TV Is far more important with all of its stupidity for a laugh. No wonder our children can't compete. In 20 years we have gone from #1 to #19 in education of our young. No wonder the trouble. Then mix in Drugs and well we're doomed. do you think that shaved head tattooed guy is going to understand Medicare or anything other than Welfare. Hell he's too busy doing his thing to worry about the rest of us. Besides he only responds to what is "FREE" that your tax dollars are providing for him.
Thank You for your service everyone of you United States Veterans, Thank You, Thank You!

Agree. Political correctness does not want our kids learning about history and patriotism. It does not fit their agenda. I watched the "White Cliffs of Dover" and the "Fighting Sullivan's" this weekend. Fantastic movies. I had not seen, for some reason, the "White Cliffs of Dover". Loved it. Kids should have to watch it to see how Europe was just hoping and praying for the US to come into WWI and WWII to save the world. The US was supplying Russia, England, France and ourselves and fighting two wars and kids don't have any idea of the sacrifices because they are not being taught. What would these kids do if they did not have computers, cell phones, etc. and they don't appreciate "why" we do have these things.

I Agree

I remember when they taught both history & geography in grade school. Now they just lump it all into "social studies", pare both topics down to bare bones & end up teaching kids virtually nothing...it's called "dumbing-down". What a waste of a once stellar U.S. educational system.

Would love to see an accurate, non-PC film about VT-8 in the Battle of Midway. Ain't gonna happen.

For those wondering, VT-8=Torpedo Squadron 8, USS Hornet (commanded by Lt. Cdr. John C. "Jack" Waldron) and the oft-forgotten Midway Island group (commanded by Lt. Langdon K. Fieberling). Forty-eight men in 15 Douglas TBD-1 Devastators (30, had crews of 2) and 6 Grumman TBF-1 Avengers in their first ever combat mission (18, as they had crews of 3, not 2) took off on the morning of June 4, 1942. One bullet-riddled Avenger peppered with over 100 7.7mm bullet holes and 20mm cannon blasts, no hydraulics, no brakes, no elevators, and a non-functional aileron made it back to Midway Island (survivors: Ensign Albert Earnest and Radioman 2/c Harry Ferrier--Aviation Machinist's Mate 3/c Jay Manning, who manned the .50 caliber gun turret, was KIA). Waldron's obsolete Devastators were wiped out completely. Only one man, the squadron's acting navigator, Ens. George Gay, managed to survive as his radio-gunner, Radioman 3/c George Field died of blood loss. In other words, only three of the forty-eight ever returned.

Heck, if you want, extend it to the other two torpedo squadrons. Lt. Cdr. Lem Massey's VT-3 and Lt. Cdr. Eugene Lindsey's VT-6 suffered horrifically as well, especially VT-3 because they heard VB-3 (Lt. Cdr. Maxwell F. Leslie's SBD Dauntless dive bombers) over the radio and did not believe that their fighter escort (a handful of planes commanded by famed fighter ace Lt. Cdr. John S. "Jimmy" Thach) had adequate fuel to protect the bombers. One of VT-3's personnel (Massey was killed before he could drop his torpedo) thus ordered the five aircraft left of the obsolete torpedo squadron to engage the Japanese Zeros, which was essentially self-sacrifice to keep the Zeros occupied while the bombers could make a clean run (although they did shoot down one Zero). Three men out of twenty-four in VT-3 survived, with two aircraft making it back. Ensign Gay of VT-8 said "those guys took it almost as bad as we did, and deserve the same credit".

Lt. Cdr. Eugene Lindsey's VT-6, the only squadron with anything resembling adequate fighter cover, lost 18 men and had 10 survivors in four aircraft (one crew was forced to ditch). Although there were at least ten torpedo hits between all three squadrons (including five from Massey's well-trained VT-3) on two carriers, the Akagi and Kaga, not one of the infamous Mk. 13 torpedos detonated. The terrifying casualty rate, however, was not in vain.

VT-8's presence disrupted deck operations and essentially prevented the Japanese from hitting the USS Yorktown (critical, because that's where the stronger of the two dive-bombing squadrons was based). VT-3, which fought back, and VT-6, which had enough fighter cover to truly shoot down a few of the Zeros, were directly responsible for disrupting Japanese combat air patrols and bringing them down to sea level--where they could not attack the two bombing squadrons under VB-3's Max Leslie and VB-6's C. Wade McClusky, whose SBD Dauntless dive bombers sank three carriers in approximately five minutes. The fourth carrier, the Hiryu, was forced into retreat and Leslie (in particular) and McClusky's bombing squadrons, both with adequate fighter protection, destroyed it the very next day.

In our AP history class in high school, the Battle of Midway was given one sentence worth of coverage by mentioning that it was "important". The heroics of the torpedo squadrons that were nearly wiped out, of McClusky and Leslie's dive bombers (including flying without fighter cover because "we could handle ourselves against Zekes a little better than the torpedo planes because the Dauntless could dogfight a little", which I believe McClusky said), of Jimmy Thach's handful of escort fighters, and that the battle turned the tide in the Pacific were never mentioned. Had I not been a voracious reader, I would not know of these men or their heroics, especially of the torpedo pilots who went into battle in either hopelessly obsolete or alternately untested aircraft.