Memorial Day 2013 - American Military cemeteries around the world

It's Memorial Day weekend and many are starting the holiday early, including me. But it's more than a holiday for eating burgers on the grill - it's a time to reflect upon all that we have and remember those who died to ensure our freedoms and liberties.

I always tear up when I think about brave men and women willingly joining our military services, leaving family and friends and heading off to places unknown because they believe our nation and our way of life is worth defending - with their very lives if necessary.

So I thought I'd share with you some photos of the various military cemeteries around the world where those brave individuals found their final resting place.

The photos and information come from the American Battle Monuments Commission which is an agency within the executive branch of our government. It was established in 1923 to be "the guardian of our nation's overseas commemorative cemeteries and memorials."

ABMC administers, operates, and maintains 24 permanent American burial grounds on foreign soil. Presently there are 124,905 U.S. war dead interred at these cemeteries, 30,921 of World War I, 93,234 of World War II and 750 of the Mexican War. Additionally 6,237 American veterans and others are interred in the Mexico City National Cemetery and Corozal American Cemetery.

We will never forget.

Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in France: contains the graves of 2,289 war dead, most of whom fought in the vicinity and in the Marne Valley in the summer of 1918.

Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium: contains the graves of 5,323 of our military dead, many of whom died in the 1944 Ardennes winter offensive (Battle of the Bulge).

Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial in France: contains the remains of 4,410 of our war dead, most of whom lost their lives in the Normandy and Brittany Campaigns of 1944.

Brookwood American Cemetery and Memorial in England: contains the graves of 468 of our military dead.

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial site in England: contains the remains of 3,812 of our military dead; 5,127 names are recorded on the Tablets of the Missing.

Corozal American Cemetery in Panama: contains the remains of 5,424 American veterans and others who contributed to the construction, operation and maintenance of the Panama Canal.

Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in France: contains the graves of 5,255 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the campaigns across northeastern France to the Rhine River and beyond into Germany. The cemetery was established in October 1944 by the 46th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company of the U.S. Seventh Army as it drove northward from southern France through the Rhone Valley into Germany. The cemetery became the repository for the fatalities in the bitter fighting through the Heasbourg Gap during the winter of 1944-45.

Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium: at this site rest 368 of our military dead, most of whom gave their lives in liberating the soil of Belgium in World War I.

Florence American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy: contains 4,402 of our military dead, arrayed in symmetrical curved rows upon the hillside. They represent 39 percent of the U.S. Fifth Army burials originally made between Rome and the Alps. Most died in the fighting that occurred after the capture of Rome in June 1944. Included among them are casualties of the heavy fighting in the Apennines Mountains shortly before the war's end.

I'll add more from the website tomorrow...

Toledo seeking families of fallen service members for Arbor Day tribute

Press Release:

CITY OF TOLEDO TO HONOR FALLEN SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN IN ARBOR DAY TRIBUTE

Invites families of those killed in action to participate

As part of the 2013 Arbor Day celebration, the City of Toledo Division of Parks, Recreation and Forestry will plant trees in memoriam of Toledo residents who have lost their lives during military conflict.

The city is inviting family members of those Toledo residents who have been killed in action during military service to participate in the tree planting ceremony in memory of their loved one. Those interested in taking part are asked to complete an application providing brief biographical information about the veteran to be memorialized. Applications are available online at www.toledo.oh.gov or by contacting the Division of Parks, Recreation and Forestry at 419.245.3357. Applications must be returned by April 19, 2013.

Approximately 50 blossoming cherry trees will be planted as a Veterans Memorial Grove in the Parkside Blvd. median between Dorr Street and Mount Vernon during a ceremony to take place April 29, 2013. The city does not ordinarily plant memorial trees on behalf of individual residents; however the visually distinct tree planting is a significant way to observe the dedicated service of these men and women in uniform.

All trees will be planted in a public right of way that is maintained by the Division of Parks, Recreation and Forestry and will serve to replace trees cleared due recent utility work. The trees will be provided by the City of Toledo and the service members will be recognized in a proclamation by the Mayor recognizing April 29, 2013 as Arbor Day in Toledo.

For 32 years Toledo has been recognized as a Tree City, USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for the commitment to maintain quality of life by planting trees in cemeteries, boulevards, streets, and parks, and for recognizing Arbor Day as a holiday that uniquely celebrates a living thing. Previous City of Toledo Arbor Day events have involved local school students, community and church group, the Toledo Urban Forestry Commission and various parks boards and commissions.

Denny Garvin, Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Forestry is available for interview as is Mrs. Dale Chapman, a participant who will honor her grandson at the 2013 Arbor Day ceremony. For interviews or more information the media are asked contact Jen Sorgenfrei at 419-467-1876.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"I do recommend and assign Thursday ... next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be." ~ George Washington, 1789

We have so much to be grateful for, including a day where we can focus on the many blessings in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving to all - and safe travels on this holiday.

And a very special thank you to the members of our military who keep us safe and ensure our liberties, especially those far from home this Thanksgiving Day!

"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about his religion.

Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength.

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home."

~ Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief

Ohio Watchdog round-up: sales tax, hypocrisy, several tax

A round-up of article from Ohio Watchdog:

Sales tax, property tax and - oh yeah - children: Discussions about how to fund education in the state include raising the sales tax to replace the property taxes being charged locally. How much, who gets it and who decides is always the discussion - but where do the children fit into the equation?

Dear Mr. President - your campaign is out of control: The same day Ohio was celebrating being recognized as an All-Star state for our efforts to protect the military vote, the Obama For America campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the Ohio Democratic Party sued the state to overturn the very law that help us win the recognition.

Oh - and overlooked by everyone is the sheer hypocrisy of the ODP, along with chairman Chris Redfern, of suing to overturn a bill that every Democrat - including Redfern - voted for.

Yes, you read that correctly. The ODP is suing to overturn a bill that received unanimous support when it was passed.

Kasich renews calls for high oil, gas severance tax: I written in opposition to the severance tax, and several groups (here and here) have announced their opposition as well. This article describes the proposal and what proponents and opponents have to say. Tom Blumer also lists Another reason to oppose gas hikes on Ohio's oil, gas industry.

Lastly, Ohio Watchdog has done a series of articles exposing the bias and 'untruthfulness' of PolitiFact's truth or lie conclusions. The latest article looks at how PolitiFact slams a GOP spokeswoman's 'literally true' statement as somehow untrue. Unbelievable! But read all the posts in the series and you'll see how PolitiFact is just a tool to support liberals while criticizing conservatives. That's my opinion, but you'll see how valid it is after reading the series and you can judge for yourself.

New twist on scam emails - claiming to be U.S. military

We've all seen the emails - spam, that is - from the person we've never heard of who suddenly wants to give us millions of dollars, just because.

They usually start out with some sort of sob story about how the sender is dying and can't trust anyone in their own family; or the 'legal representative' (rarely says attorney or lawyer) who wants to send you money on behalf of some client. You've never heard of them but somehow they've decided you are the person to benefit.

We know they're scams and, other than the entertainment factor of seeing how they're trying to convince you to turn over all your personal identifying information and bank account numbers, we usually delete them, perhaps blocking the email address.

I expect, with a public email that I use for my blog and on air, that I'll get my share of these messages, along with a host of others. But the most recent twist on these scams really set me off.

I've now received three emails, all claiming to be from members of our U.S. Military, stationed somewhere overseas. They claim to have come across some cash that they want to ship home - but they need help. The first one claimed to be a Marine who wanted my help because he'd found gold and could convert it there in Iraq, but still needed someone in the U.S.

While I'm certain that no group of humans, including our military, is perfect, I hold our military in high respect and don't believe the vast majority of them, having come across someone else's treasure, would steal it - and then enlist my help to bring it home..

That some scammers believe this shakedown approach would be successful says a lot about what they think we think about our U.S. forces. Do they really think we'd believe that our soldiers and sailors, airmen and guard would behave in such a deceptive manner? And, if so, what gave them this impression?

Perhaps they think we'd believe the subterfuge because we put our faith in those who willingly offer themselves for our protection. But the scam's efforts to turn that trust into a way to take advantage of us sorely underestimates what the American people believe and expect from these brave individuals who serve in the armed forces.

I don't believe anyone reading the scam email will believe it's really a member of the U.S. military. In fact, knowing how most people think of our military, using this approach is more likely to ensure the email gets delated. And that's a good thing, because the recipients won't get caught up in the con game.

It's also good because it proves that, regardless of what others may think, we have the utmost confidence in the men and women sworn to protect our Constitution and our lives. They have earned our trust and respect.