Memorial Day 2014:
Once again I am pleased to present this thread.

This Saturday, the 24th, Boy Scout and Girl Scout Troops of Northeast Ohio will assemble to place flags on the graves of the over 30,000 military at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery. My father is in one of those.

This year I may be the last of the original attandies of the first Decoration Day. But from that first it has grown from about 80 Scouts to over 500. Last year the nearly 30,000 site were decorated in less than a hour.

I hope you remember to thank the veterens in your area and take a moment remember those that served. This includes those of all nations that united to protect freedom.

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Memorial Day 2013:

This Saturday we will once again "Honor" and remember those that have gone before. Please take a moment to remember those that defended your rights. The Scouts in the area will decorate the over 30,000 graves of our service people.

Also this year please remember those first responders that have put their lives on the line every day to protect and save us here in our own country.

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I wanted to repost this reminder. Next Saturday the 26th we will once again honor our service people by decorating the graves at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery. This is the 12th year it has been open.
Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery

Here is the 2012 write up from the Akron Beacon Journal

(Below written in 2010)
I want to take a moment and ask our Inn Mates to pause and say "Thank You" to those that protect and defend our rights to do things like gather online for fellowship and those that gave that last ounce of life. Whether they died in actions protecting our rights or passed after surviving to enjoy the those rights they honorably defended.

Today I attended the 10th decoration day at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery outside of Rittman, Ohio. Our Scout Troop, among many others here,has been proud to take the time each year since OWRNC has opened to help plant American Flags on each of final resting places of these service people. Today we honored 13,300 service men and women, which included my father. Arlington Nation Cemetery in Washington, DC is nearly full. This is our nations second National Cemetery and is growing at a rate of 12 veterans per week.

I am constantly reminded of this Honored place because I live close enough to see at night the spot light that illuminate the giant flag there and often in the quite of the evening to hear "Taps" that is played every night.

So on this long weekend of outdoor picnics, swimming parties and family gatherings please pause for that moment of "Thank You".

"Freedom is not Free, there are those that paid the price for you!

Though I may not always agree or support all of our President's decisions, I DO admire our troop's loyalty to our free nation, and respect and am grateful for the sacrafice they make daily over seas.

My family is one of military tradition. My grandfather, who passed away last summer, was a retired carreer military serviceman, who served in three branches of the military and retired a master sergant in the Air Force. He also served in WWII and the Korean war.

So I say thanks to all those who have fought, and still fight to keep this nation free and safe!

They only ask to be remembered.

Freedom is most certainly not free.

A moment to all those who have served for my country and helped keep it safe.

I love you Dad.

M.

I wanted to repost this to say "Thank you" to all our service people and to remember those that have gone before.

Just want to bring this back again....

My friends, it is that time we say thank you to those that have served to be sure we in the USA stay free. I thank all of you from around the world that have also sacrificed to help others be free.

This Saturday we will once again honor those that are buried in Western Reserve National Cemetary.

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from Northeast Ohio will place flags on each plot to honor those that rest here.

Another thank you from me.

Semper Fi!

It was a beautiful morning here in Northeast Ohio for the decorating of the graves at Western Reserve National Cemetery.

There was a great turnout of Scouts and adults. The flags were placed on about 30,000 sites in about an hour.

It was amazing to see the boys and girls flood through the row upon row of head stones and leave a brightening of red, white and blue flags against the white on green of the headstones in the fields of honor.

If any of you receive the American Legion newsletter there will be an article in an upcoming issue on the event. You will see the RL Odyson as one of the two adults leaders present today that have been to all the decoration events since the opening in 2000.

Thank you to all our veterns, their families and to all that have served to keep freedom alive.

Thank you to those friends and allies in countries around the world that stand to keep people free. We remember your people and their service too.

..... to the Men and Women who give their lives for Freedom around the World: Past, Present and Future!

Memorial Day 2013.

I was a proud veteran
That served my country well
To those that would listen
I had many stories to tell.

We fought for America’s freedom
In faraway places on foreign land.
Wherever the battle for democracy raged,
America’s finest made a stand.

We fought for your future
And the right to remain free.
For we saw what freedom meant
To those not blessed with Liberty.

For you and yours
We would gladly have given our life.
We face the fears and perils of battle
We braved endless turmoil and strife.

Please remember us veterans
And the sacrifices we made for you.
Please share the blessings of freedom,
Proudly wave the red, white and blue.
- Lynne Carey, 2004

A simple "thanks for your service" given truthfully is one of the best comments a vet can receive. Our current vets have enjoyed great public support but especially those of the Vietnam era did not. I always thank them whenever I see a service hat; no matter the day. Just knowing what many of the WWII, Korea and Vietnam vets went through makes me kind of at a loss for words when one of them thanks me for my service.

Thank you to those that serve and thank you those that remember.