Not Forgotten

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"The Soldier"

By Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC

When the country is in need, it has always been the soldier.

It’s the soldier, not the newspaper reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It’s the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It’s the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to demonstrate.

It’s the soldier, who salutes the flag; who serves under the flag.

It’s the soldier who is called upon to defend our American way of life.

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These pages are being created to pay respect to all our many veterans. Have you ever stopped to think what kind of nation we would be living in had it not been for all our veterans? We have the highest honor of living in a land where we have freedom! But that freedom was not free. Our military men and women has been paying for our freedom for many years. I, for one, would like them to know that they aren't forgotten.

This is a tribute for all veterans. Some gave the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. They fought for a country that they believed in. That country is us, America!! The least that we can do is give them our respect!! And maybe you could take a few moments to bow your head, give thanks for them and remember their loved ones left behind.

Some are still serving today. This is a tribute to you, also. You are serving our country with pride, and we are forever grateful. May God watch over you and keep you safe.

To those who served their time and now are home, Thank you! We'll never know what horrendous conditions you went through, as I'm sure you'll never forget. Thank you! We will remember!

To all the families of these veterans; wives, husbands, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, and kin: Thank you! You also made many sacrifices. You spent many lonely days and nights without your loved one nearby, so your sacrifices were also great ones. Then there are those that will never see their loved one return. You also gave the ultimate sacrifice. May God Bless all of you is my prayer.

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Freedom Is Not Free

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze;
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud;
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought ... how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilot's planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers graves?
No ... Freedom is not Free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still;
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill;
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend;
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands ...
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington ...
No ... Freedom is not Free!

~ Author Unknown ~

I hope you will take the time to see the following pages I have made. My desire is that it will make you stop and think about how grateful we should be to live in "The Land of the Free" and why we have that right. I know we have many things wrong today in this country today, BUT we still have much to be grateful for. Stop and think about it!

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