Itzl Alert Network: Tuesday, 30th of May, 2023: The day after Memorial Day

Welcome, my friends! 

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Monday Youffraita

Tuesday: bigjacbigjacbigjac

Wednesday Pam from Calif

Thursday art ah zen

Friday FloridaSNMOM

Saturday FloridaSNDad

Sunday loggersbrat

First, let us look at the original reason for Memorial Day: 

en.wikipedia.org/… 

Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day^[1]) is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.^[2] From 1868 to 1970, it was observed on May 31.^[3] Since 1970, it is observed on the last Monday of May.

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U.S. military. Many volunteers place American flags on the graves of military personnel in national cemeteries. Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer.^[4]

I do not recall learning that as a child, or even as a young man.

I just knew Memorial Day as one of those Monday holidays, that so many like to use for barbecues, and other fun activities.

My father, Don Herbert, joined the Navy, the moment he turned 17, which was on December 9th, 1941. (He was born on December 9th, 1924.)

The attack on Pearl Harbor was on December 7th, 1941, but my father made it clear to me, that he had already decided to join the Navy before that, because German submarines were already sinking American ships, in the Atlantic: 

en.wikipedia.org/...'The_Happy_Time'_(June_1940_%E2%80%93_February_1941) 

In June 1941, the US realized the tropical Atlantic had become dangerous for unescorted American as well as British ships. On May 21, SS Robin Moor, an American vessel carrying no military supplies, was stopped by U-69 750 nautical miles (1,390 km) west of Freetown, Sierra Leone. After its passengers and crew were allowed thirty minutes to board lifeboats, U-69 torpedoed, shelled, and sank the ship. The survivors then drifted without rescue or detection for up to eighteen days. When news of the sinking reached the US, few shipping companies felt truly safe anywhere. As Time magazine noted in June 1941, "if such sinkings continue, U.S. ships bound for other places remote from fighting fronts, will be in danger. Henceforth the U.S. would either have to recall its ships from the ocean or enforce its right to the free use of the seas."^[50]

So, as soon as my father joined the Navy, he was sent to what he called “underwater sound school.”

Then, he and the crew of his ship went out into the ocean and destroyed German submarines.

He was not killed. He was not injured. 

After leaving the Navy, he met my mother, Eva, in college, and they fell in love, dropped out of college, and eventually had five children. I am the fourth out of the five.

I was in the hospital room, on Saturday, the 27th of January, 2001, at 2 AM, when he died.

For a few years after that, I visited my parents’ grave (my mother died in 1999), each Memorial Day.

I noticed all the nice flags, decorating the cemetery.

I think it was sometime during those years, that I first learned that Memorial Day was set up to especially honor those who died in combat.

I suppose at one point I thought it was to honor anyone who served in the military.

I do not know of anyone in my extended family, who died in combat.

So, I think about my father, Don Herbert, sometimes, on some Memorial Days. And, some other days. I was in the hospital room, with my first wife, Pam, when he died, so, the list of losses that hit me hard are: 

My father, Don, 2001,

My first wife, Pam, 2008,

And my second wife, Tonia, 2022.

Thank you for reading all this, letting me get it off my chest, so to speak.

I suppose I am saying that I use Memorial Day, and every day, to think about those three, plus my mother, Eva, plus my sister, Adonna, who died in 2015, plus my brother, Brent, who died in January of 2022, a short time before Tonia died.

Okay, enough about death.

Tell me, in your comments, about your lively lives!

Hugs!

I just now watched the Ali Wong videos, while eating chocolate chip pancakes. She is very bold.

Take care of yourselves, and eat cheese and chocolate, and stay bold.

More hugs!