“The Old Guard.” The Third United States Infantry Regiment, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. “Soldiers never die until they are forgotten. Tomb guards never forget.”
A Marine stands guard while a brave young child dies. Sent to me by a friend. “Every now and then, in the middle of the constant barrage of crap that’s just pissing us all off these days, we come across a story, a feat, an event that just makes us stop in our tracks. This was one for me.
“Cody Green was a 12-year kid in Indiana who was diagnosed with leukemia at 22 months old. He loved the Marines, and his parents said he drew strength and courage from the Marine Corps as ... he bravely fought the battle into remission three times. Although he was cancer-free at the time, the chemotherapy had lowered his immune system and he developed a fungus infection that attacked his brain. Two weeks ago, as he struggled to fend off that infection in the hospital, the Marines wanted to show how much they respected his will to live, his strength, honor and courage. They presented Cody with Marine navigator wings and named him an honorary member of the United States Marine Corps.
“For one Marine, that wasn't enough ... so that night, before Cody Green passed away, he took it upon himself to stand guard at Cody's hospital door all night long, 8 hours straight.
“Nowhere on the face of this planet is there a country so blessed as we to have men and women such as this. I wish I could personally tell this Marine how proud he makes me to be an American. God ... I do so love this country.”
WWII Vet. Loyal to the end.
The Long Salute This photo of Staff Sergeant Tim Chambers, USMC, was by Cpl. Scott Schmidt, USMC, as Chambers renders a continuous salute to all the Rolling Thunder motorcycle riders as they cross the Memorial Bridge from Arlington to Washington each Memorial Day. Here one of the riders dismounted to return the salute. He has held this salute for three hours in the blistering sun before the last rider crossed. He has commented, “I do this for the pain. It’s all about the pain. A lot of these guys still hurt and if I can relieve their pain through mine just for one brief moment, then I’ve done my job.” I and my daughter stood in the middle of the bridge as Rolling Thunder drove across several years ago. The roar of their engines makes your ribs vibrate, a humbling and pride soaked experience.
The Marines pay respect to the family of a Fallen. This photo was taken at a formal dinner at the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico, Virginia, honoring the families of Fallen Marines. It is a marvelous presentation of the honor, commitment and pride today’s heroes share with yesterday’s. The photo was taken by Jensen Sutta, and you can see the entire presentation at his web site.
Service & Sacrifice recognized and appreciated. The Liberty Limited, powered by Bennett Levin's two E8 locomotives pulling 19 private cars carrying military personnel wounded in the service of our country, is enroute from Washington, D.C. to the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia, PA on December 11, 2010. Waving a flag that had flown over our nation's capitol, retired Army Reserve Colonel Lex Bishop lets the military personnel aboard the special train know that their service & sacrifice is appreciated.
Warrior honored. Willie Black, a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, salutes fallen warrior SSgt. Briand Williams, USA, December 3, 2009, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Williams, who had served in the Army since 2002, was killed in action in Iraq November 22, 2009. He was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Heavy Combat Team. Photo credit: SSgt. Schelli Jones, USAF
"Up from the ashes." IT2 James Alcorn and New York fireman Henry Gullotti share the duty of colors for Engine 8, Ladder 2, 8th Battalion in New York City. The fire station welcomed the Sailors of USS New York (LPD 21). The Sailors had the opportunity to share sentiments with the first responders of the 9-112 attack by Islamic Enemies of the US against the United States homeland. Photo credit: MC2 Shannon Renfroe, USN (111709)
We never give up. On December 5, 1942, a B-25 "The Happy Legend" was lost near Papua, New Guinea, seven souls aboard. They included capt. Richard Grutza, 1Lts. Charles Maggart (pilot) and Wilson Pinkstaff, 2Lts Frank Thompson and William Stocking, Sgt. Aub Lee Atkins, Jr. and Pfc. Antonio Calderon. pacificwrecks.com has a very good summary of the multiple attemptes to recover the crew. From reading this, the Joint Personnel Accounting Center (JPAC) in Hawaii positively identified Sgt. Atkins, Lt. Maggart, and Pfc. Antonio Calderon in September 2008, and they were buried. In this interment, it is my understanding that Lt. Stocking was positively identified and is in one casket. There are many other remains that were found but could not be positively identified that were placed in another casket, and the interment, which occurred on November 127, 2009, was intended to honor the entire crew. Photo credit: PO William Selby, USN.
A solemn salute. Joseph Kovac, a retired sailor and Veterans of Foreign Wars past commander, salutes one of many color guards in the John Basilone Parade in Raritan, N.J., September 27, 2009. The parade, the largest military parade in the nation, honors Basilone, shown below, a Marine gunnery sergeant native to the town, who received a Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross for actions in Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine in WWII to receive both. He held off 3,000 enemy troops at Guadalcanal, for which he received the Medal of Honor. He would later be killed in action on the first day of Iwo Jima, after which he posthumously received the Navy Cross. Photo credit: Sgt. Randall Clinton, USA. (093009)
Go get ‘em skipper, but don’t break my aircraft. SSgt. Rich Nastrom, USAF, the crew chief for this F-15 Eagle, salutes his skipper as the latter moves into position to participate in an air exercise. This particular crew is from the Massachusetts Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing based at Westfield, Massachusetts. I always get goose bumps when I see a photo like this. The part you don't know is that when the crew chief strapped his man into the cockpit, he wished him well, and reminded him that it is the crew chief's name on the side of that aircraft --- "Break my aircraft and I'll kill ya, Sir!", or something like that. Then, when the skipper is ready to go, the crew chief stands at a brace and pops his man a hearty salute, a great sign of respect, a marvelous tradition.
Memorial Day is a National Day of Remembrance. Every year, on Memorial Day, the United States Congress has asked all Americans to stop, wherever they are at 3 p.m. their time, to pause for one minute in an act of national unity. I commend the National Moment of Remembrance website to you. (052109)
"Flags In" Tribute at Arlington. Airman Jacob Proffer, USAF, Air Force Honor Guard, pauses to salute a grave after placing a miniature flag at its base during the “Flags In” tribute at Arlington National Cemetery, May 21, 2009. He said, “When I do this, it makes me take a lot more pride every time I put on my uniform, seeing the measure of sacrifice so many have made.” Photo credit: Donna Miles, Department of Defense. (052209)
There is a time when it is proper to burn an American flag. That is when it is "no longer a fitting emblem for display." In other words, it is time to retire a flag. The preferred method of destruction is to burn the flag. But it is done in a most military solemn ceremony. Some have compared this to a funeral. SrA Amy North, USAF, a color guard member at Misawa Air Base, Japan, salutes an American flag as it burns during a retirement ceremony May 25, 2009. Photo credit: T.D. Flack, Stars and Stripes.
First the Colors, then the game. Marines from Recruiting Substation Schaumburg, Marine Corps Recruiting Station Chicago, present the colors at the Chicago Slaughter-Wisconsin Wolfpack Continental Indoor Football league game May 16, 2009, at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. Photo credit: SSgt. Luis R. Agostini, USMC
Hundreds of U.S.airmen pay tribute to four Tuskegee Airmen on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, April 24, 2009; from left to right on the lower photo, retired Major George Boyd, retired Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson, former Staff Sgt. Phillip Broome and retired Lt. Col. James Warren. The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing traces its military lineage back to the Tuskegee Airmen, who were part of the 332nd Fighter Group. The airman are assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. The Tuskegee Airmen were all black fliers and officers who served with great distinction in Europe in WWII. They shot down 111 enemy aircraft and destroyed another 150 on the ground. Also, they knocked out more than 600 railroad cars, and sank one destroyer and 40 boats and barges. Their losses included approximately 150 killed in combat or in accidents. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala, USAF
LAPD Officer Laura Gerritsen touches the casket of Officer Spree DeSha at the funeral, September 18, 2008. DeSha was killed in the collision of a MetroLink commuter train and a Union Pacific Railroad freight train. Following practice for off duty officers riding on the train, Officer Desha was in uniform and in the first passenger car when the accident occurred. Photo Credit: Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times . Presented by flickr.
In silent repose. Senior Airman Fernando Reyes, Airman First Class Tawny Greer, and Senior Airman Sean Goodwin take a moment after a ceremony. They are all members of the Minot Air Force Base Honor Guard. Photo credit: Senior Airman Joe Rivera, USAF. (022509)
Canadian valor takes a high price. Canada is playing a huge role in the war in Afghanistan, fighting hard in the volatile southern regions, and making the most costly of sacrifices. Four Canadians were killed on March 20, 2009 in Kandahar, while five more were wounded.Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, the commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, said, “Please do not think of this as a failure on the part of any person or of the mission itself. Success in war is costly. We are determined to succeed so that Afghan lives improve, but the insurgents are equally determined to challenge and prevent Afghanistan from flourishing as the nation it so wants to be. Remember, the deaths of these superb Canadians occurred as Canadian Forces were bringing safety to those in peril. Today, they succeeded.” Canada has lost 116 since the war began. Presented by Spiegel Online.
A distinctive fold of respect. An Airman from the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard participates in a flag-folding ceremony during a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Photo credit: Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol, USAF
Fair winds, following seas. Flag bearers snap to attention before removing the American flag from the casket of Chief Photographer's Mate Edgar Tiemann during a burial-at-sea ceremony aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48). The ceremony included the burial of 13 honorably discharged Sailors and Marines. Photo credit: Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Mandy Hunsucker, USN.
A Red-Letter Salute: Every military pilot values their crew chief. Some will even kneel before them or embrace them with a brand of respect that only comrades of the brotherhood can convey. But, when the crew chief is done, the aircraft is as fit as it can be, every crew chief steps to the side, says it's all yours, and snaps a Red Letter salute of respect and God's speed. And oh yes, included in this spine-chilling salute of respect are the unsaid words, "Take care of my aircraft skipper!" Here you see Spc. Anthony Crawford, Apache crew chief for C/1st "Attack" Battalion", 227th Aviation, 1st Cav Division, "America's First Team," popping his respects to his pilots as they launch off on a combat mission from Camp Taji, September 27, 2007. Photo credit: Spc. Nathan Hoskins, USA, 1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs (100607)
"Courage. Honor, Sacrifice. Gratitude." A special gift book is being produced by the Arlington National Cemetery Commemorative Project, Inc., in conjunction with Rich Clarkson and Associates and the National Geographic Society. To salute those of our armed forces who now rest in Arlington National Cemetery; a beautiful, oversized commemorative book is being produced for the family of each newly-interred service person who paid the ultimate sacrifice during our country's Global War On Terrorism. You can advance order the book through Amazon now. We bought ours today. (050307)
Elephant Mountain's hallowed ground. You are looking at pieces of a USAF B-52 long-range bomber that crashed on Elephant Mountain, Maine, January 24, 1963. Its tail section broke off while flying a high speed low altitude flight profile, a profile essential to penetrate Soviet air defenses at the time, but a profile for which this aircraft was not designed. Other B-52s experienced similar structural failures. On January 10, 1964, a Boeing test flight was flown to collect structural data on high speed low altitude flying with the B-52. The tail indeed broke off on the January 10 test flight, but the pilot brought her home after experts and the crew spent some 10 hours figuring out how best to do that. The pilot, Chuck Fisher, not only brought home the bird, but also all the recorded structural data needed to try to correct the problem. This crash scene at Elephant Mountain is hallowed ground. To see an American flag on pieces of the wreckage is at once numbing and a great source of pride. Americans understand and respect service and sacrifice. Photo credit: pumafam at b52 crash, webshots. We commend this album to you. "Pumafam" took many photos of the crash site, which has been allowed to stand as is for all these years.
Unwavering respect. A member of the Patriot Guard Riders stands at attention holding the American Flag during the burial service for Army Spc. Michael D. Rivera, March 21, 2007 at Greenwood cemetery in New York. Rivera died March 7 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. Photo credit: Mary Altaffer, AP
A Marine's salute. Marine Chief Warrant Officer Brian Dix salutes wounded soldiers as they arrive for the unofficial dedication of the Center for the Intrepid at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, January 29, 2007.
This is a grateful nation. Goodbye Mr. President. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Mrs. Ford, you are in our hearts and on our minds. You are a lady of grace and dignity. Thank you for representing us so well. Mrs. Ford is flanked by her son Steven, left, and Major General Guy Swan III, USA, following the interment ceremony for President Gerald R. Ford at his Presidential Museum on January 3, 2007, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Photo credit: David Hume Kennerly, Gerald R. Ford Library & Museum, AP
Oh Canada ... True patriot love in all thy sons command! A woman places a poppy among hundreds of others alongside a makeshift memorial to Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa, Canada, November 11, 2006. As of November 28, 2006, forty-five Canadians have died in-the-line-of-duty in Afghanistan, thirty-five in combat action, six to friendly fire, and four in accidents. Photo credit: Tom Hanson, AP-CP
Thank you for your service. Joseph Doria, right, wandered the Washington Mall at the WWII Reunion in May 2004, thanking every veteran he encountered for making “this great country” safe for his family, whom he brought from the Philippines for a “better life” in the United States. Here he expresses his gratitude to Air Force veteran James Dobson, who survived capture as a prisoner of war. Photo credit: Michaela McNichol. Presented by Library of Congress.
An incredible story: Would you recognize this man if you saw him the grocery store? This is Pfc. Jacklyn H. Lucas shaking hands with the Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Michael W. Hagee while receiving his Medal of Honor ceremonial flag at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., August 3, 2006. Lucas joined the Marines at age 14. After training and assignment, he went Absent Without Leave (AWOL) in January 1944, telling his buddies he wanted to be in a combat outfit. Declared a deserter, he stowed away aboard the USS Deuel which was taking the 5th Marine Division into combat. He surrendered, was allowed to remain, and one day after his 17th birthday, landed at Iwo Jima. Fighting with two other Marines, he threw his body over a grenade thrown at them, and grabbed a second grenade landing near them, tucking it under his belly. The grenades exploded under him, severely wounding his right arm and wrist, right leg and thigh, and chest, yet lived to tell about it, see all charges dismissed, receive the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart, and be honorably discharged. Photo credit: William D. Moss, Department of Defense. Note bene: Jack Lucas passed away on June 5, 2008. God bless you, Jack.
A boy contemplating those words. Freedom is not free. Assuring our youth understand that is crucial to them and our nation's future. Understanding what it means, understanding service and sacrifice, what they entail, it is our job to teach our children patriotism and the costs of freedom. This photo was taken by Judy C. Hamilton and is presented in her photo portfolio, "The world through my lens," in the section called, "Mama wore combat boots." Judy has written, "I 'came of age' in the turbulent sixties and made a choice ... dog tags or love beads." She became an Army nurse and served in Vietnam, caring for our wounded. She has also commented, "Not all women wore love beads in the sixties." Thank you, Judy, for your service, your sacrifice, your photo gallery, and most especially this photo. (062506)
Working at the next level: Army Specialist Maxwell Ramsey, 36, from Hilton Head, S.C., who lost his leg from a 155mm Iraqi artillery round in Ramadi, rides Wiley, a Percheron horse, at the Caisson Stables, 3rd Infantry Regiment, the "Old Guard," at Ft. Myer in Arlington, Va., June 2, 2006. Selected amputee soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center are participating in a therapeutic riding program where horses become a living therapeutic apparatus that aids the use of prosthesis, improves the core muscle group, and increases self-confidence. Photo credit: Charles Dharapak, AP
God's speed Private Jake Kovco: Members of the Royal Australian Regiment 3rd Battalion carry the casket of Private Jake Kovco, 25, the first Australian soldier killed in Iraq, on the tarmac at Sydney Airport April 29, 2006. Photo credit: Australian Defence Force
Soviet WWII victory over Germany warrants our eternal respect. Moscow commemorates the 61st anniversary of the WWII defeat of Germany with fireworks, May 9, 2006, in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square. For many in the former Soviet Union, the victory over Germany stands out as among the proudest moment in Soviet Union-Russian history. It was achieved at a tremendous cost, with an estimated 27 million dead and much of the western part of the country devastated. Photo credit: Sergey Ponomarev, AP
Look at these passengers. They were on the plane that brought this Marine home. Marine 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport. Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac. Note the people in the windows, watching those Marines. They will remember that they were on the plane the brought that Marine home for the rest of their lives. Photo credit: Todd Heisler, The Rocky Mountain News.
New allied officers, in all their splendor. South Korean army cadets salute during the graduation ceremony at the Korean Military Academy in Seoul. We and our allies in Korea have been through a lot together. Our greatest achievement was to defeat the North Korean and Chinese communists in their 1950s attempt to control the entire Korean peninsula. The Republic of Korea today is a vibrant success, while the North is a dead man walking. Congratulations to these new officers, and congratulations to our Korean War Veterans for a job well done. You can bet these new allied officers are a snappy group of young leaders. Photo credit: Jung Yeon-Je, AFP (030406)
Kids can really make you proud. This editor received this card on Veterans Day 2005 from his 38 year old daughter. The card inside read, "In honor of your time in the service, may you fly for life on level wings." Then, she attached this note: "Dad, I saw this card and thought of you. Thanks for all you have done for our country. Love, Michelle." This is a Hallmark card.
There's hope for us all, and he's standing right here. Bryan Lorenz, 8, salutes as he holds a small American flag during a ceremony commemorating the 64th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 2005, at Veterans Memorial Island in Vero Beach, Fla. We can teach our children patriotism, and they clearly can teach us. Photo credit: Bob Jordan, AP
Honor after the fall. Major Steve Beck, USMC, prepares to open the casket of 2nd Lt. James J. Cathey. Days earlier, Major Beck had informed Lt. Cathey's pregnant wife of his death in Iraq. Photo credit: Todd Heisler, Rocky Mountain News, presented by Time magazine in a heartbreaking photo essay, "Honor after the Fall." We urge you to view it.
US Marine vets pay respect to British allies. A contingent of United States Marine Corps veterans march for the first time along with more than 10,000 British war veterans in London's Horse Guards Parade to the Cenotaph following a Remembrance ceremony to pay tribute to the war dead of Britain and the 54-nation Commonwealth, Sunday November 13, 2005. That the British allowed them to march in this parade means Britain recognizes that US Marines have served the British Crown. Mike Allen, founding Commandant of the London Detachment of the Marine Corps League, a nonprofit association that locates former Marines living in Britain and Europe, commented, "In the past, our two corps have fought side by side and are currently serving together in Iraq, and we are extremely honored to pay our respects and be respected marching with our greatest allies, the United Kingdom." Photo credit: Lefteris Pitarakis, AP
The joy of a smile of respect, younger for older. Dakota Brant (L) greets WWII veteran Howard Anderson following a ceremony in the Senate on Parliament Hill in Ottawa November 4, 2005. The ceremony marked the start of Veterans' Week in Canada. Photo credit: Chris Wattie, Reuters
Here's how you honor and respect service and sacrifice. Airmen applaud and cheer, thanking injured soldiers and Marines for their service in the war on terrorism as they are brought aboard the a C-141 Starlifter combat-zone aeromedical evacuation flight. The C-141 has been known to many GIs, since Vietnam, as "The Freedom Bird." Photo credit: Major Robert Couse-Baker, USAF
A reminder of our Allies' service and sacrifices. The casket containing the body of 1st Lt. Bjarke Olsen Kirkmand arrives at Karup air base in Denmark, October 5 2005, after the journey from Iraq, where the soldier became Denmark's second soldier to be killed in action. Lt. Kirkand's military vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb outside Basra. Photo credit: Andreas Szlavik, POLFOTO
Respect from the community. Terry Lane, Buffalo, Mo., fire chief, center, and George Wells, Buffalo firefighter, right, along with Wayne Holt, salute as the funeral procession for Army Sgt. 1st Class Obediah J. Kolath leaves the funeral home after services in Buffalo, Mo., Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005. Kolath, 32, of Louisburg, died in August at a military hospital in Germany, from wounds from a roadside bomb in Iraq. Photo credit: The News Leader, Dean Curtis, AP
Many South Vietnamese courageously fought by our side. Adorned with the colors of the former South Vietnam and the United States, Thinh Nguyen, a former captain in the South Vietnamese Army, salutes during the playing of the U.S. and former South Vietnamese national anthems during a demonstration against the upcoming visit of Phan Van Khai, the prime minister of Vietnam, to the U.S., in Little Saigon in Westminster, Calif., June 18, 2005. Making the first U.S. visit by a Vietnamese prime minister since the war's end 30 years ago, Phan Van Khai is planning to talk business with Bill Gates, visit Harvard, and boost his country's bid to join the World Trade Organization. As an aside, Vietnam, save the south and most notably Saigon, is a typical communist economic disaster. The southerners simply ignore the fools up north. Photo credit: Reed Saxon, AP
Salute our Allied WWII Vets. Canadian veterans ride on top of military vehicles during a parade in Ottawa, May 8, 2005. Thousands lined the streets to thank the veterans and to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Photo credit: Jim Young, Reuters
God's speed. Servicemen carry the coffin of Flight Lieutenant Andrew Smith, one of 10 servicemen killed on January 30 when the C130 Hercules plane they were travelling in crashed in Iraq, upon its return to the Royal Air Force Lyneham base in Wiltshire.Photo credit: Tom Ockenden, AFP
"Generations of Valor." Pearl Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas embraced Marine Staff Sergeant Mark Graunke, Jr. during a Veterans Day commemoration in Dallas. Graunke lost a hand, a leg and an eye when he defused a bomb in Iraq last year. Photo credit: AP
Thanks to you, Black Watch, you were "awesome." U.S. Marine Colonel Ron Johnson (R), commander of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, shakes hands with British Army Lieutenant Colonel James Cowan, commander of the British Army's Black Watch battle group, before Johnson bid farewell to the Scotland-based soldiers during a visit to their desert base camp south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad in this photograph released on December 5, 2004. The visit came as the Black Watch was preparing to return to Basra in southern Iraq after spending a month serving alongside the 24th MEU in northern Babil province. The Black Watch lost five troopers during its deployment up north as part of an effort to relieve American forces to assault Fallujah. The regiment is due to be home for Christmas. Photo credit: Cpt. David Nevers, USMC, Reuters
“The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his Nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of Hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity. We go to liberate, not to conquer. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag that will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them. As for ourselves, let’s bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there. Our business now is north.” Lt Col Tim T. Collins, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment Battle Group, March 19, 2003, as his men prepare for their imminent deployment on war fighting operations in Iraq. Photo credit: Giles Penfound, AP, British Ministry of Defense, Pool
Britannia's remaining WWI vets. British World War I veterans from left: Henry Alligham 107 years old, Norman Robinson 102 years old and Bill Stone 103 years old head up the veterans procession past the Cenotaph during the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph on London's Whitehall , Sunday Nov. 9, 2003. Remembrance Sunday is a day when Britain remembers its war dead from all conflicts. Photo credit: Richard Lewis, AP. November 22, 2003.
About 22,000 Canadians stormed Juno Beach on D-Day, and acquitted themselves valiantly. Canadian D-Day veterans sit during a ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Allied invasion of Europe in the town square of Courseulles sur-Mer June 5, 2004. Photo credit: Andy Clark, Reuters
"Members of Congress, don't ever apologize for your values… Tell the world why you're proud of America. Tell them when the Star-Spangled Banner starts, Americans get to their feet...Tell them why Americans, one and all, stand upright and respectful. Not because some state official told them to, but because whatever race, color, class or creed they are, being American means being free. That's why they're proud." Tony Blair, Prime Minister, Great Britain in remarks to a joint session of the US Congress.