lest we forget!
By ATWadmin On September 27th, 2008
An obituary spotted reminded me once more that our heroes are slowly dissappearing, and as life goes swiftly by, we should take a few seconds to remember those who are remembered here, here and indeed here in a tiny plot which remembers my own uncle, who lies alongside a German who also died during the invasion.
For the Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is a music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncountered:
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end they remain.
Laurence Binyon
Well done Mike.
Sad. But at least they, and their descendants, can be sure that they died fighting for the best cause, and against the worst cause, imaginable.
Well done indeed, We buried my GodFather Edward Manzi Sr. Recently
Edward N. Manzi Sr., 84, of Drexel Hill, a decorated Army veteran of World War II, died Aug. 28 at Delaware County Memorial Hospital.
Born in West Philadelphia, Mr. Manzi served in the Army during World War II with a special ranger unit known as Merrill’s Marauders in the Pacific Theater.
He earned numerous medals and commendations for his service, including a Bronze Star.
These were the Marauders :In slightly more than five months of combat, the Marauders had advanced 750 miles through some of the harshest jungle terrain in the world, fought in 5 major engagements (Walawbum, Shaduzup, Inkangahtawng, Nhpum Ga, and Myitkyina) and engaged in combat with the Japanese Army on thirty-two separate occasions, including two conventional defensive battles with enemy forces for which the force had not been intended nor equipped. Battling Japanese soldiers, hunger, fevers, and disease, they had traversed more jungle terrain on their long-range missions than any other U.S. Army formation during World War II.
The men of the Merrill’s Marauders enjoyed the rare distinction of having each soldier awarded the Bronze Star. In June 1944, the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation:
The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign.
In 1966, this Distinguished Unit Citation was upgraded to the Presidential Unit Citation
Ed was one of very humble man that led a good hard life
I so respect them.
Years ago, I worked with a man who had been part of the D Day landings. He was gentle of voice, stood straight, and kept his military crew cut all his days. Never spoke of those days, unless prompted.
Last year, by pure luck, I ran into the famous American baseball player Yogi Berra. We shook hands.I only recently learned that he served on a small craft as part of the D Day invasion.
This was a pure good vs evil conflict, and it surely could have been lost.
We had the benefit of great men like Churchill and Roosevelt. But their leadership would have meant nothing without the brave service of millions, most of whose stories unknown other than by their God.
Amen Phantom
I have nothing but the greatest respect and eternal thanks for the brave souls from all nations who fought and died in WWII against the greatest evil in the 20th Centuary.
However IMO WWI was an entirely useless waste of young, impoverished, gullible life.