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Re: Memorial Day
Robert,
I pause. I reflect. I am a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel on the way back to
Korea for his second tour. I've lurked on this list for about 5
months--find here good men who do more than academics. Find here fellow
veterans. Welcome Sir! It is from you that we who serve today have
received the baton. I will not drop it.
v/r
John D.
----- Original Message -----
From: <ResareRC@aol.com>
To: <KOREAN-WAR-L@raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2000 8:43 PM
Subject: Memorial Day
> I lurk. This my first post to your list. The following text was sent to
> another mailing list to which I am a member. I just figure you might
pause
> from your academic pursuit of the meticulous research of the Korean War to
> reflect on Memorial Day for a moment:
>
> I have a tool drawer in my garage. In this tool draw is a pair of bandage
> shears issued to me as a Corpsman (medic) with the Marine Corps. Each
time I
> open the drawer and see the shears I am taken back 49 years to the Korean
> War. The shears are of toughened stainless steel. They can cut through
> metal, and other materials, but they mostly were used to cut through
Marine
> combat uniforms to get to the wounds, and get there quickly to stop the
> bleeding. Memorial Day has special meaning to each of us. On past
Memorial
> Days I have gone into bars and bought a round in memory of Marines fallen
in
> battle. At other times I have sat quietly at home wondering what the hell
> happened. For me, Memorial Day is a day of reflection, respect, wonder,
and
> regret. Regret for the inability of mankind to recognize the stupidity of
> settling arguements by the use of "War". I still remember the sound of
> incoming artillery, the hiss of shrapnel flying sidways through the trench
> line, the slick feel of half-coagulated blood on sand bags, the sight of a
> pair of human lungs hanging from the stacking swivel of an M-1 Rifle, the
> smell of rotten urine thawing in the bottom of the trench when Spring
comes,
> a company commander counting the beads on his rosary before the
concussions
> of artillery explosions blow out the candle in his crab hole and I can no
> longer see him. And on and on........
> War Really Is Hell On Earth. May God bless every service man who ever
lived.
> Robert Resare in Tigard, Oregon, United States of America