Comments on: In Memoriam http://granades.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Comments+on+Articles+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fgranades.com%2F2009%2F05%2F25%2Fin-memoriam%2F%23comment-&seed_title=In+Memoriam Like a blog, but explodier Thu, 24 May 2012 10:57:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Pop http://granades.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Comments+on+Articles+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fgranades.com%2F2009%2F05%2F25%2Fin-memoriam%2F%23comment-260364&seed_title=In+Memoriam/comment-page-1/#comment-260364 Pop Wed, 27 May 2009 21:26:01 +0000 http://granades.com/?p=2932#comment-260364 For each of us who lived through the era of the citizen soldier (ie, conscription rather than today's all-volunteer military), Memorial Day conjures up a particular name, a friend or relative who died in service. Mine is SGT William Michael Fields, born in Evergreen, AL 11/20/1946. We were in high school and played baseball together (he pitched, I caught) and both went by our middle names. His mother was the local draft board secretary. He was an only child. He rode a jeep with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the rear through the Mekong Delta as part of his duties in South Vietnam. His luck ran out when his jeep hit a mine near Binh Duong, and he died 5/12/69. He was 22, and had been in the Army just about a year. Today his name is inscribed on panel 25W, line 68 of the Vietnam Memorial. Memorial Day never comes that I do not, in mind's eye, return to The Wall, stand before panel 25W, find his name, offer the only salute an enlisted man receives, and depart. Pop For each of us who lived through the era of the citizen soldier (ie, conscription rather than today’s all-volunteer military), Memorial Day conjures up a particular name, a friend or relative who died in service. Mine is SGT William Michael Fields, born in Evergreen, AL 11/20/1946. We were in high school and played baseball together (he pitched, I caught) and both went by our middle names. His mother was the local draft board secretary. He was an only child. He rode a jeep with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the rear through the Mekong Delta as part of his duties in South Vietnam. His luck ran out when his jeep hit a mine near Binh Duong, and he died 5/12/69. He was 22, and had been in the Army just about a year. Today his name is inscribed on panel 25W, line 68 of the Vietnam Memorial. Memorial Day never comes that I do not, in mind’s eye, return to The Wall, stand before panel 25W, find his name, offer the only salute an enlisted man receives, and depart.

Pop

]]> By: Lisa http://granades.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Comments+on+Articles+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fgranades.com%2F2009%2F05%2F25%2Fin-memoriam%2F%23comment-260133&seed_title=In+Memoriam/comment-page-1/#comment-260133 Lisa Tue, 26 May 2009 02:39:32 +0000 http://granades.com/?p=2932#comment-260133 Amen. Amen.

]]> By: kat http://granades.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Comments+on+Articles+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fgranades.com%2F2009%2F05%2F25%2Fin-memoriam%2F%23comment-260088&seed_title=In+Memoriam/comment-page-1/#comment-260088 kat Mon, 25 May 2009 22:48:41 +0000 http://granades.com/?p=2932#comment-260088 Thank you Stephen. All too often we forget what these holidays we enjoy off of work are for. Thanks for remembering. Thank you Stephen. All too often we forget what these holidays we enjoy off of work are for. Thanks for remembering.

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