I-J-u-s-t-D-i-d-M-y-D-u-t-y

I woke up this morning (not feeling like P-Diddy), slid out of bed and stumbled to work; one more day of just going through the motions. Except, today is Memorial Day!

"Have a safe Holiday weekend!"....was the common parting phrase of the day on friday. "OK, I'll try!"...was my response. Of course, I wouldn't have to try. It's tough to be anything but safe when I'm hangin' with Gramma and Paw, sippin' on wine and watchin' the ballgame. Or when I'm shootin' hoops in the mid-day sun to try and get some color. Or when I'm mowing the lawn in 93 degrees and humidity approaching 70%.

See, I wasn't anticipating closing time on Friday so I could run home, pack a bag and head to the lake to get plastered, sleep til noon and wake up to beer for brunch, rinse and repeat on saturday, sleep til 3 on sunday, beer for lunch, sand volleyball, sleep til noon today and then lounge at the pool, beer in hand, to rehabilitate myself for the work day on tuesday. Nope. Not this weekend.

While everyone else was planning their weekend floating the river on a cooler full of 12 packs and jello shots....I was planning my weekend of epic FAIL. My plans of fun in the sun were canceled by some punk that decided my money, cell phone and Fedora should all be his at my expense.

It was my second iPhone to be stolen in a year. It was $400. It was my Fedora that not only did the ladies love but it also solicited questionable compliments from other guys. It was my awesome weekend turned into an awesome day for a thief.

How is this fair? Here I am at work, just chillin' by myself (I was the only one scheduled for work today) on a holiday-monday morning while everyone else is just chillin' at the pool recovering from a wet-n-wild weekend. Why? What makes it worse....Multiple emails and messages on facebook asking, "Where are you, dude?"

Just before checking ATS this morning, I jumped on to one of my other daily sites. www.dallasbasketball.com (I'm a die-hard Dallas Mavericks fan) On the front page was an article written by the Mike Fisher, the site owner/editor:

A Soldier. A Mavs Fan. A Last Wish Before Dying

Berry Webb’s cozy home is full of neatly organized evidence of a life of expressiveness, passion and love. He is devoted to his God, to his America, to his wife Sherry and family and friends … and to his Dallas Mavericks. But on our recent visit, Marine Corps Sgt. Webb, 61, is fighting for that life of expressiveness, passion and love. Berry is a victim of Lou Gehrig’s Disease, the ALS coming on two years ago as a result of being exposed to Agent Orange during his tour in Vietnam, where he served as a gunner, participated in six major battles and earned six medals for his sacrifice.

Now, the expressiveness is limited. From a hospital bed stationed permanently in the living room of his house in Terrell, Texas, his ability to communicate is essentially limited to what he can do with his left hand … and with a single teardrop.

“I am not a hero,’’ Webb says to me – but he “says’’ this in silence.

His method of communication is a series of quick-but-patient tapping the fingers of his left hand onto an alphabet board held near his lap by Sherry (and throughout the day by other members of our party, which includes Gina Miller, Mark Followill and videographer Bill Ellis, who shot this companion piece for the story for CBS11).

“I-J-U-S-T-D-I-D-M-Y-D-U-T-Y.’’

(see link above for Full Story)

I sat here at my desk after reading this story....and had to fight back the tears (I work in sales/customer service; crying isn't good). How selfish am I?

I really just wanted to share this story with ATS. It moved me. If it weren't for heroes like Webb......you get the picture. Memorial Day means so much more to me as of this morning, all thanks to a thief and an unfortunate work schedule.

Thank YOU....to the Veterans of ATS and to the soldiers that gave their lives in the name of freedom.

-Dev

[edit on 31-5-2010 by DevolutionEvolvd]

Nice thread,

Kinda puts things into perspective for ya.

Things like this make you realize what a bunch of whiney, selfish, eejits this generation really are

not localized to America of course.

This story is just one of many that I have read in the past and most recently over this weekend. Thanks for posting it, I feel there can't be enough of them.

reply to post by UberL33t


I've always been aware of the true meaning of memorial day; however, it took a selfish thief to make me realize how that "meaning" took a back seat to partying.

-Dev

A great find my friend, people like Webb are true heroes. Men who stand up and fight hard against the enemy for the good of us all.

We all should never forget what these brave men and women have sacrificed to ensure OUR collective freedom. These REAL! heroes never tell of their bravery, they see it as just doing their duty....


S+F for being moved by the story enough to make this thread....

I do not want to be an ass but please let me share another perspective.

The US had no right to be in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq included.
If your precious country kept its nose out of other countries business and stopped acting like my dad is better then yours. The guy from your post would have never been in Vietnam killing people in Asia. He would not be a hero. He would have lived a normal life together with a wife and some children maybe spending his golden years in Florida.

I'm sorry, I don't want to spoil memorial day for you but there wouldnt even be one if your government would mind its own business.

When you got get burned you are going to feel pain.

I'm sincerely sorry for what happened to that guy but ask yourself a question...
Did it have to happen in the first place ?

It's not that he ran in to a bus. Someone, somewhere decided for him to be out there, fully aware of what could happen up front.

I can't believe you people still walk to your deaths... and for what ? Our freedom.

Fighting for freedom on the other side of the world... You've got to be kidding...

I am so sorry for the loss of your fedora. Those things sure are stylish.

But yes, people of my generation (the ones in their 20s or so and younger) definitely do not appreciate Memorial Day. Definitely sad.

I am very thankful for the fact that people fought for the amount of freedom that I have today. Definitely something to be thankful for. We always talk about our freedoms being taken away these days, but seriously, us in America still have it better than many many other places in the world. Remember that.

Great article.

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


Military history of the Netherlands during World War II

The first Allied troops entered the Netherlands on September 9, 1944, on a reconnaissance patrol; on September 12, 1944, a small part of Limburg was liberated by the US 30th Infantry Division. During Operation Market Garden, the Americans and British established a corridor to Nijmegen, but they failed to secure a Rhine crossing at Arnhem.

During the rest of 1944, the Canadian First Army liberated Zeeland in the Schelde Campaign, in order to free access to the harbour of Antwerp. By 1945, the entire southern part of the Netherlands (up to the Waal and Maas rivers) had been liberated.

...

The German forces in the Netherlands finally surrendered in Wageningen, on May 5, 1945. The acts of Canadian soldiers toward the civilian population during this period would be a major point of endearment and friendship in Canada–Netherlands relations, among other acts throughout the war, for many years afterward.

Pardon the source, but none the less...just saying

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


Well, thanks for that.

This is about honoring those that fought and died for me. This is about an American holiday, not about a war.

Too many Americans had NO CHOICE but to fight in Vietnam, regardless of whether they thought it to be a just war.

If you want to argue about the War on Terror or War in general...there are other threads in other forums on this site you can express your disagreeance/hatred towards the United States.....not here.

....if you don't understand what American holidays represent then, please, save it for someone who can tolerate your ignorance.

-Dev

I did not post with the intend to argue. I'm aware what this day means.

I gave my perspective on your story. As I said I'm sorry if you don't like it. Then again what do expect when you make a thread ? That everybody agrees ? You don't have to answer that.

I'll leave you in peace. I never intended to spoil a holliday.
If it helps Happy holiday.



Reply to UberL33t.
Thank you very much.

By the way.
Memorial day was not even celebrated in the southern states until after the second world war.

I'm not happy with my own countries history either...

[edit on 5/31/2010 by Sinter Klaas]

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


I don't disagree with you; however, I'd rather not wander off-topic. It takes away from the meaning of the article.

reply to post by DevolutionEvolvd


Again... I'm sorry I didn't realize this holiday was so important.

If I knew I would not have posted my reply. It just never occurred to me.
Remembering any sacrifice is a good thing which I do not think badly about.

It was my first thought... Next year I will post a positive reply to make up for it.



[edit on 5/31/2010 by Sinter Klaas]

Marine Corps Sgt. Webb, 61, is fighting for that life of expressiveness, passion and love. Berry is a victim of Lou Gehrig’s Disease, the ALS coming on two years ago as a result of being exposed to Agent Orange during his tour in Vietnam,

I just wanted to interject something here.


The Defense Department has concluded that there is a verifiable link between military service and the onset of Amnyotropic Lateral Scelerosis (ALS), commonly refered to as Lou Gerhig's disease.

As such, specific benefits have been made available for afflicted service-members and their families/heirs.

There is NO other limitation placed on qualification; Any afflicted service member, in any branch of the service, in any duty classification, from any posting, who has served at any time, and has been diagnosed with ALS is eligible.

For details, check with one of the national ALS foundations.



My step-father, who served in the USAF, passed recently from complications due to ALS. My mother, his caregiver for the two years he was afflicted, now receives a small stipend from the government in his behalf.


This information doesn't seem to be getting much 'air-time" for some reason.

Conspiracy?