Memorial Day

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mack

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Memorial Day weekend - a time to remember those who died serving our country.  It is also appropriate to honor and remember all those who have served who have gone before us. 

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

Firefighters have participated in all our nation's conflicts.  In our Civil War, firefighters filled both the roles of our military units and the lists of injured and killed in action.  http://firehistory.weebly.com/fires-firemen-and-fire-companies-in-the-civil-war.html


The 73rd NY Infantry statue - Gettysburg:
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Unit composed primarily of NYC firemen - unit size 507 at battle  -  51 KIA/103 Wounded/8 MIA  - RIP

http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/73rdInf/73rdInfMain.htm

Colors at Gettysburg:
73rd_Inf_Guidon02_135.jpg
 
11th NY Infantry Regiment - 1st Fire Zouaves -

Battle flag:
11th_Inf_Reg1997_0030.jpg

Regiment recruited from NYC firemen - Commander said of soldiers "I want the New York Firemen, for there are no more effective men in the country"  - regiment fought at Battle of Bull Run

Note "NYFD" in picture of 11th Regiment POWs:
800px_11th_Fire_Regiment.jpg
 
 
A slow hand salute to those have paid the ultimate sacrafice for freedom. So many lives cut short, so many dreans unfounded, so many lives changed forever. As a Vietnam vet of 2 tours and a father of a Marine with two tours in Iraq freedom does not come cheap. Thank you for your service. GG
 
Thank you to those who have served. I enjoy my Freedom everyday for the sacrafices you have made.

  Today, I saw a young man with only one arm. We got talking and he told me he lost his arm in Iraq. I have all my fingers, both hands, and both arms. It was through no wish of his own that he lost that arm. But he lost it so I can be Free. How do you thank somebody for that ? And how many others lost a limb for me ? How many are no longer with us ? They died so we all can be Free. I guess there's really something to it when they say "Freedom is Not Free".

  There is a web site that I look at once in awhile to remind me of what our Veterns have done. I've posted it here before, but its time to post it again for those who haven't seen it. The site is www.patriotfiles.org .
 
FDNY served in WWII:

WNYF_1946.png
(from April 1946 WNYF)
1669 active FDNY members left their units to serve in World War II.  32 members were Killed in Action. 

Thousands of additional WWII veterans were appointed to FDNY and other fire departments after the war. 

RIP.
 
FDNY members serving in WWII:

WWII_Members.pngWWII_Members_2.png

Note - I reposted further down to read names and units better
 
Mack: Where did you find these? I can barely make out what looks to be a few guys from my FH.
 
When I was a kid, Memorial Day was the day for my grandmother, mother and me to attend Mass at Holy Cross Cemetary in Brooklyn and after Mass visit my grandfather's grave and spend some time with him. He was a World War I vet (the 77th Division I believe).

When we were finished, we would take to subway home and as we left the Eastern Parkway station we would usually catch the last 20 or 30 minutes of the Memorial Day Parade and then we'd spend the rest of the day together as a family.

I miss those days. No major sales, no frenzied shopping sprees, no continued advertising on TV. It was a day to remember our troops and those who had gone before and to say thanks to those who were still with us.

Here's to those gone and thanks to those still here

Jim Boyle (aka 1261truckie)
 
MAJ_Title.png

MAJ.pngMAJ_Pet.png

This is a great story in the July 1945 WNYF about two FDNY firemen held as POWs by the Japanese following the fall of the Philippeans in 1942.  MAJ Mark Wohfeld, Engine 34 and MAJ Robert Pettit, Engine 303, survied combat, capture and the infamous 75 mile Bataan Death March to end up prisoners together in a horrible POW camp.  They took care of each other as captives.  Mark Wohfeld escaped by "overpowering " a guard with his shovel.  He was shot at and wounded, but was free.  He survived by joining jungle guerrillas.  Bob died in the prison camp, as countless other American Service members did.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_Death_March

What Was The Bataan Death March?
 
FDNY members KIA in WWII - as of October 1944 - RIP:

WWII_KIA.png


This WNYF cover uses the Gold Star service flag as a background.  Blue star flags and banners are used to indicate a child in the Service, gold stars indicate a child killed in Service.
 
Gold_Star.jpg
Example
 
"While visiting some cemeteries you may notice that headstones marking certain graves have coins on them, left by previous visitors to the grave. These coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America's military, & these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin.

A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier's family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect. Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited. A nickel indicates that you & the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means you served with him in some capacity. By leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were ...with the solider when he was killed. According to tradition, the money left at graves in national cemeteries & state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, & the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent veterans.

In the U.S., this practice became common during the Vietnam war, due to the political divide in the country over the war; leaving a coin was seen as a more practical way to communicate that you had visited the grave than contacting the soldier's family, which could devolve into an uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war. Some Vietnam veterans would leave coins as a "down payment" to buy their fallen comrades a beer or play a hand of cards when they would finally be reunited.

The tradition of leaving coins on the headstones of military men & women can be traced to as far back as the Roman Empire."
 
68jk09 said:
"While visiting some cemeteries you may notice that headstones marking certain graves have coins on them, left by previous visitors to the grave. These coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America's military, & these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin.

A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier's family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect. Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited. A nickel indicates that you & the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means you served with him in some capacity. By leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were ...with the solider when he was killed. According to tradition, the money left at graves in national cemeteries & state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, & the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent veterans.

In the U.S., this practice became common during the Vietnam war, due to the political divide in the country over the war; leaving a coin was seen as a more practical way to communicate that you had visited the grave than contacting the soldier's family, which could devolve into an uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war. Some Vietnam veterans would leave coins as a "down payment" to buy their fallen comrades a beer or play a hand of cards when they would finally be reunited.

The tradition of leaving coins on the headstones of military men & women can be traced to as far back as the Roman Empire."
Click to expand...

  Thanks Chief. I never knew that and I would sometimes see a coin on the grave stones. My father was a medic in WWII and one day I went to his grave and saw a coin there. Now I know what that was all about. When I go to the cemetary, I'll make sure I have change with me to leave on those stones.
 
Thank you Mack. I see 3 members from my firehouse.

JK: I always wondered the meaning of the coins. Thanks.
 
Once again this important weekend is upon us ......This weekend aside from the other activities please take time out to remember what Memorial Day actually is & do not forget those in Uniform here & abroad & pray that they will come home safely & not be included in the list of those being Memorialized who have gone to a higher level.......also take the time to explain the meaning to a young person...... http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html  .......... please start back on page 1 & review the excellent posts in this thread....NEVER FORGET !
 
When I was a kid, we called Memorial Day "Decoration Day". We went to a field mass at Holy Cross Cemetary and then went to my grandfather's grave. He was a World War I vet. While not killed in combat, my grandmother and mother made sure this day was special and dedicated to my grandfather and all deceased vets. No sales, no beach only the vets.
Rest in Peace to All
 
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