The World War II generation is slipping away. Of 16 million Americans who served, fewer than 4 million are still alive today. Every day another 1,100 veterans receive a final salute. So many of them are dying now and some don't even make it into their 80's.
When the World War II Memorial is dedicated today in Washington D.C., it will honor the millions who served willingly, in noncombat support roles, and rarely spoke above what they saw. Many World War II vets never opened up and talked about it.
You can visit the National WWII Memorial and also add your relatives who served to the national database for future generations to discover.
Nearly 59 years after the end of World War II, the National World War II Memorial will be dedicated in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, May 29, 2004.
The Memorial Day weekend celebration on the National Mall will culminate an 11-year effort to honor America?s World War II generation. The memorial was authorized by Congress in 1993. Construction began in September 2001 after several years of fund raising and public hearings.
The official dedication celebration will span four days and will include a WWII-themed reunion exhibition on the National Mall staged in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution?s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, a service of celebration at the Washington National Cathedral, and an entertainment salute to WWII veterans from military performing units. Other related activities in cultural venues throughout the city are expected.
On this memorial day weekend, CelticRadio.net honors all Veterans of Wars who served or made the ultimate sacriface in defense of freedom and liberty. We offer this thread as a place to share stories and sacrifices about someone special in your life that served your country in a time of war. Please note that while the topic is about a U.S. Memorial, feel free to post about Veterans outside of the U.S. who also fought in the defense of freedom and liberty.
I said no, only because I live in Europe and I have already participated in Rememberance Services , cummulating in the main event In Normandy next week.
Suffice to say I know Quite a few of the veterans who landed On D-Day.
Grand people indeed, they will not be forgotten.
Lest We Forget
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Nec Aspera Terrent
As you slide down the Banister of Life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction....
I will probably visit the memorial on my next visit to the States.
Like Polyglory, I am in Europe. My mother had two brothers who were prisoners of war - one was captured at the fall of Singapore and the other was torpedoed on the Murmansk run. Neither made really old bones.
The BBC are running a lot of programmes in the runup to the D-Day Memorial services in France in early June.
I definitely will, along with the Vietnam Memorial and the one that I hold dearest to my heart because of my father, the Korean War Memorial.
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Mike F.
May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
We have a lovely Veterans Memorial that was constucted and was dedicated on Memorial Day in my area. It honors WWI, WWII, Korean and the Viet Nam War. This Memorial is very special to me because my Dad served in WWII. I think each person that served and continues to serve to keep this country free should be honored. My Dad is no longer living, I'm sure both of these Memorials would have pleased him. I'm just sad he's not around to be a part of this.
I don't have any plans to go visit the Memorial in D.C. but maybe one day I'll be able to visit.
I have had the privilege of knowing many of the Canadian nursing sisters who went over to Europe during the war to care for all the broken men who came back from the front lines. It took remarkable courage to do what they did, and they deserve just as much recognition as the soldiers for their bravery. One of these remarkable ladies, Ms. Eva Wannop, just passed away recently, and during the service the priest read an extract from one of the memoirs one of the injured soldiers who had spent time in one of these hospital, and he discribed Ms. Wannop as being an angel. Looking around at all the fellow nursing sisters after the service, I was struck by the realization that they are truly becoming the forgotten generation as one by one their memories are lost forever.
It is sad that after all this time these people who fought and died get such a place, When you think asbout it it took no time for viet nam memorial to go up. Dont get me wrong I had an Uncle in the corps who went over and if it lasted to much longer I would have been next, My father served in WW2 combat infantry with the 36th T-patchers came home and killed at his job when I was only a year old, For those you know or knew some one be glad ask questions learn from history it could very well happen again.
I am not able to travel to the Washington Memorial at this time, but I did volunteer 3 days working security from 7:00A to 7:00P at the "trail of honors"! This was a stop for the Veterans of "Rolling Thunder" as they rode across the Southern route to the Washington Memorial! I spent time in Iraq in 1991!
I lived very close to Washington as a child, when my father was stationed at the Pentagon. I got to see most everything, including a President's funeral.
I now live in Idaho, a long way away. Our group pipes & drums at the local memorials several times a year, or when asked. But, yes... the Vets are moving-on at a faster rate, I fear.
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David S. R. Clark, Administrative Sergeant-Major _______________________________________________________________________________ Teton & District Performing Arts (Bagpipes~Drums~Vocalists~Highland Dancers)
Burns' Society of the Tetons
Ammon Scottish Festival
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