Never Forget! Mahalo for the sacrifices and service.

C34FF725-442D-42EF-87E2-138912A7F9D6 by Hanzo posted May 25, 2018 at 9:15

 

I wear an anodized aluminum bracelet engraved with the name and details of a fallen hero. That reminds me every single day of the price and sacrifices for freedom that so many of our young men and women have made on our behalf! I am eternally grateful to all who have gone on before me, gave their best, and did what needed done, often at odds with the civilian populous who refused to support the brave men sent to fight a war no one wanted! It breaks my heart to hear of the disrespect shown to our heros who fought that war and gave their all, sometimes every thing they had! So I salute all those who have served and are serving still, and I shed tears for those who have given their lives!

Spec 1st.class Juan d. Deseranto U.S.Army K.I.A. Vietnam 1967!
I never met you, but I bear your sacrifice in my heart, I will remember!!!

 

All I have to do is pull out my photo album but. I don't too melancholy, sometimes I will hear a phrase that will jolt me back and that's not always comfortable.

 

when the DW and I visited HI a few years back, we had three 'must see' places. The Punchbowl. - it was a very sobering walk up and back the length of the facility.

Then came the Bookends for WWII - a visit to the Arizona Memorial and the Big Mo. I was able, thanks to local hams, to work some stations from the radio room in the Missouri - KH6BB.

I doubt we'll ever go back, but this was a set of bucket list items...

 

The real Hero's are the ones that never made it home. Remember them.

 

55BF3160-E886-4780-94D0-66EB8ED675DD by Hanzo posted May 28, 2018 at 7:09

 

This year at the Fort Logan National Cemetery service, they changed the format. It was one of the better services. The history of Memorial Day and the history of Fort Logan were told. The Memorial Day address was given by a Commander Sergeant who after delivering an emotional address, received a standing ovation. Gone were the politicians and the releasing of the doves instead there was the ringing of the Honor Bell. Welcome

 

We went out to the National Cemetery on Ft Richardson. I took my 9 YO grandson.

There, we visited each of the graves of the Soviet airmen buried there. Lost in ferry operations of Land-lease aircraft, the ones lost in Alaska were recovered and buried here. The Allies lost 90 airmen, the Soviets 109 in ferry crashes.

Then, we visited the mass grave of the 217 Unknown Japanese soldiers removed from Kiska Island and re-interred here. I had to explain to my Grandson fully half of the Japanese lost in the battle committed ritual suicide by holding a grenade to their belly and pulling the pin. That, I said, is why we (the US) utterly destroyed the Japanese culture that led to the war and these related horrors.

That is also why we need to come to their grave and at least recognize their loss and the loss their families no doubt felt.

And to make double-damn sure this shit doesn't happen again..... I've made sure my kiddos and Grand kids have a clue....


Grave marker is pretty low key, an engraved wooden post and a small granite plaque with the few names of these that could be identified. Next time someone tells you the Americans are vindictive racists - share this story with them for me, would you?

The Soviet graves are next to the Memorial - you can see them in the near distance....