Memorial Day - A Solemn Memorial

[Papa Charlie]

A Solemn Memorial

Beneath the quiet reverence of bronze and wood, this image tells the story of generations tethered by duty, faith, and the enduring spirit of liberty. A father, clad in the solemn garb of a bygone era, stands tall—a sentinel of heritage and resolve. By his side, a child gazes upward, both to the man and the modest chapel that represents the sacred pillars of community and belief.

Their backs are turned not in retreat, but in remembrance. With a tricorn hat held low and a satchel weathered by the weight of service, the figure evokes the sacrifices of those who have walked before us—soldiers, settlers, and shepherds of a fledgling dream. The child, wide-eyed and unknowing, is the embodiment of hope—the future cradled in the memory of the past.

Behind them, the American flag waves gently, not in triumph, but in testimony. It whispers stories of courage and conviction, of homes left behind for a greater calling, of a nation shaped in prayer and perseverance.

This is not merely a sculpture. It is a memorial to the silent strength of faith, the burden of guardianship, and the promise passed from father to son. It stands as a timeless tribute to those who have built, defended, and believed in a country where liberty is not inherited, but continually earned.

May we walk with reverence in their footsteps and honor the quiet grandeur of their legacy.

Artwork created by my wife in AI, I just had to share.

On Memorial Day, Please remember.

 

[D Coots]

Veterans.....keeping our Country Free since 1776....

 

[L.Sherm]

Very nice.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

A day to remember those of us who never came home....

 

[ISS]

And, to those of us who left comrades and familie's blood spilled on foreign soil...
On Flander's (cannot spell it) Field the Poppies still grow...

 

[rockhound78]

Remember a little---In Flander's field the poppies grow, between the crosses, row on row. And mark their place up in the sky, the lark still bravely, singing, fly....
I remember my Great Uncles, Uncles, cousins and all those that served,but most of all my Father, who paid the full price.....

 

[K22]

I have a friend on the Wall. He has been on my mind this weekend. But for the Grace of God, there go I.

 

[D Coots]

Back in 2011 I was on the US Benchrest Team competing in France. The day after the match was over, we went to the Hamm Cemetery in Luxembourg. Patton is buried there on a hill overlooking all the brave soldiers that gave their lives for this country. It was early in the morning and there was a ground fog covering the neatly manicured grass with the crosses all perfectly in line. A golf course with crosses came to mind.

I thought about all those brave young men that gave their lives and never had the chance to get married or watch their children grow up.

To say the least...it was a very moving experience.

Later

Dave

 

[M-61]

James Paton Nicholson
Russel ‘Pete’ Bott
Willie Stark
Charlie Sawler
KIA, BNR, BNR, KiA

 

[K22]

Robert (Bucky) A. McPherson, US Marines, KIA, Khe Shah, 1968. (Panel 53E, Line 19).

1966 Graduate, Canon McMillian High School, Canonsburg, PA.

Rest in Peace brother - you are not forgotten.

 

[hogpatrol]

In Flanders Fields​

By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 

[Kalitrazescapee]

Had dinner at Blue licks lodge Saturday

 

[mmcu]

I'll never forget.

Here's one of my relatives buried at the Normandy American Cemetery.

 

[D-4297]

Cpl. Patrick Regan Diehl
8 - 05 - 49..............5 - 21 - 69
Co. D , 101st Airborne
Hamburger Hill , RVN

 

[M-61]

In Flanders Fields​

By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

And this poem, by a Canadian field doctor, was the start of the red poppies.
I remember them being handed out at nearly every intersection years ago.
Not so much today

 

[hogpatrol]

And this poem, by a Canadian field doctor, was the start of the red poppies.
I remember them being handed out at nearly every intersection years ago.
Not so much today

Used to see vets' auxiliary selling them outside grocery and other stores. My pop, a WW2 vet always had a handful for us kids to wear to the parades. Like you said, not so much today. Kind of sad.

 

[D Coots]

I sold them long ago. Lived in a town of 150. Legion and Auxilary were well attended. Both have been gone for a few years now.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Used to see vets' auxiliary selling them outside grocery and other stores. My pop, a WW2 vet always had a handful for us kids to wear to the parades. Like you said, not so much today. Kind of sad.

Never pass them up.

 

[HankInWisconsin]

Raymond F. Eade
Sgt. HHC 8th Inf 4th Div
Vietnam
Bronze Star Medal - Purple Heart
Aug. 15, 1947 – March 24, 1969

Raymond: a native of this valley. He worked as a cowboy for the cattleman around this area. He was loved and respected by all who knew him.

Location. 36° 21.504′ N, 120° 47.204′ W. Memorial is near Paicines, California, in San Benito County. It is at the intersection of Coalinga - Los Gatos Road and Clear Creek Road, on the right when traveling west on Coalinga - Los Gatos Road.