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Memorial Day!
Topic Started: May 27 2016, 08:37 AM (339 Views)
partspig
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Everyone, I hope that you will have a safe holiday weekend celebrating the holiday with friends and family. But we must always remember what this holiday is about, wear your Red Poppies this weekend!!!!!

Here is a bit of history about Memorial Day...........

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Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.
Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).
It is now observed in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363). This helped ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19th in Texas; April 26th in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10th in South Carolina; and June 3rd (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Red Poppies

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
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She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael. When she returned to France she made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help.
Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

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highwingpilot
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Well spoken Dennis. Important to always remember those who have paid the ultimate price for our country and freedom. And thanks to all those who serve in our military and our vets.
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Jisp
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Thanks for the background information on the US Memorial Day Dennis. Remembering & honouring all who have served with defence forces and particularly those who paid the ultimate price must always remain strong.

Cheers,
Michael.
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alpink
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in remberance of thse who gave all

thank you
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partspig
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Time to bump this thread to the top again! Have a safe holiday weekend celebrating the holiday with friends and family!
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Bubba 123

GREAT Post "PP"!! ;-)

Bubba ;-)
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SlotCarDaddy
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My 92 year old grandfather fought in the battle of the bulge. He is still here and kicking.
I am well aware of the price of our freedom. It isn't free.
I am a veteran myself and know the price of our fallen brothers.
God bless all in Service and that have served.
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alpink
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remember many
honor all
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bluesguy
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Thank you to all who have served our country.

I thought I'd share this with you guys while my father in law, Ray Kooman,
is still here with us.
He's 93 and still going strong. He was honored here in NJ in 2015.

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD —
Extensions of Remarks
E1324
September 18, 2015

SGT. RAYMOND J. KOOMAN
HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR. OF NEW JERSEY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 18, 2015

Mr. PASCRELL.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sergeant Raymond J. Kooman,
who served bravely in World War II and survived as a prisoner of war in
a German prison camp.
Sgt. Kooman is being honored today at the 2015 POW/MIA Recognition Month
Ceremony in Hackensack, NJ for his service.

In 1942, Sgt. Raymond J. Kooman, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Kooman,
enlisted in the service at the age of 19, serving in the United States Army,
28th Infantry Keystone Division. The red keystone, official emblem of the
State of Pennsylvania, is the official shoulder sleeve insignia of the 28th Division
which was originally a Pennsylvania National Guard organization.
The Germans called it the ‘Bloody Bucket’ because of the blood-red keystone
insignia and vicious fighting tactics during the Normandy Campaign.
It was the 28th Infantry that paraded through the streets of Paris after the city’s
liberation.
The division traces its history back to Benjamin Franklin’s ‘‘Battalions for
Associators’’ organized in 1747.
In October 1943, Sgt. Kooman was deployed to the European battlefront.
He had been in action since D-Day and served with reconnaissance patrols,
and in attacks on enemy strongholds.
He continued to serve as a rifleman with the infantry in the European Theatre.
On September 14, 1944 Sgt. Kooman was wounded when a German sniper
shot him in the leg. He recovered quickly from his injuries and three weeks later
he was sent back into action. After five months of fighting in France, Belgium,
Luxembourg and Germany, the 28th Infantry was deployed along a 25 mile stretch
of the Our River, from northeastern Luxembourg to Wallenstein, Germany.
On December 18, 1944, just three months after being injured, Sgt. Kooman was
captured and taken prisoner by enemy German troops in Luxembourg.
He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and was eventually held as a POW
in Stalag IV B in Germany. Sgt. Kooman weighed 155 pounds when he enlisted
and weighed only 80 pounds when he was liberated by British soldiers. He also fell
ill to dysentery, as had all prisoners. However, somehow, Sgt. Kooman found the will
to survive. He still carries the prisoner identification tag he was forced to wear.
Sgt. Kooman describes his experience as such: ‘‘We had 3,007 prisoners in our
camp. Everybody slept on the floor in this prison. There were no beds and no toilets.
There was nothing to eat, 35 men to one loaf of bread. I never took my socks off,
yet walked 800 miles in 35 days, the death march. I buried a lot of people,
a lot of soldiers. Every day, I buried them.’’
After a year in captivity, he was eventually liberated by the British Army in 1945.
His story of survival in the midst of so much agony is both inspirational and a
snapshot of the true brutality of war.
In recognition for his service in the U.S. Army, Sgt. Kooman received several military decorations:
Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, 1st Oak Leaf Cluster,
World War II Victory Medal, ETO Campaign Medal, and
the Bronze Arrowhead—Omaha Beach Assault.
It is an honor for me to recognize Sgt. Raymond J. Kooman, who hails from the
Borough of Little Ferry, which I am proud to represent within the 9th Congressional
District of New Jersey.
The job of a United States Congressman involves much that is rewarding, yet nothing
compares to recognizing and commemorating the life and achievements of individuals
such as Sgt. Raymond J. Kooman.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, Sgt. Kooman’s family and friends,
all those whose lives he has touched, and me, in recognizing the life and service of Sergeant Raymond J. Kooman.


Thanks Dad!
Edited by bluesguy, May 31 2017, 10:29 PM.
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bluesguy
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This was from the memo of the motorcycle Honor Guard,

Memorial - POW/MIA Ceremony Honoring SGT Raymond J. Kooman / Hackensack, NJ, 18 SEP 15

MEMORIAL MISSION FOR POW/MIA
and honoring
SGT Raymond J. Kooman, US Army
Hackensack, NJ 18 SEP 15

The Patriot Guard Riders along with the Nam Knights have again been
requested to help Bergen County, NJ honor their POW/MIA's. The honoree for this
day will be SGT Raymond J. Kooman, US Army, European Theatre, World War II.

SGT Kooman was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with 1st Oak Leaf
Cluster, and other awards too numerous to list here. SGT Kooman was a member of
the 28th Infantry Division, and survived 2 years as a Prisoner of War during
1943 and 1944. When he was liberated, he weighed 80 pounds.

This mission will consist of an escort of SGT Kooman from Bergen County
Harley/Davidson, 124 Essex Street, Rochelle Park, NJ 07662, to the Bergen
County Administration Building under the watchful eyes of the Bergen County
Sheriff's Department.

All riders should be at Bergen County Harley/Davidson no later than 11:45
for a pre-mission meeting, and then the escort will begin shortly after noon
going to Hackensack.

Ride Captains for the Patriot Guard Riders will be:

Don Klein, NJ SC
Ray Smith, NJSRC


He had a great day.
Love you Pops.
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