MEMORIAL DAY by Teresa S. Mathews

Memorial Day

Your memory will be forever honored in my heart

You understood the risk right from the start.

Giving your pledge to protect and serve,

You never once from this honor swerved.

Protecting others was your heart-felt call;

Mothers, Fathers children, you protected them all.

When that moment came, your life you freely gave,

Because of your sacrifice Old Glory still proudly waves.

May the memory of your valor live on in our hearts and lives today,

May we be forever thankful for your love of the USA.

© Teresa S. Mathews 2016 

The Lumberjacks' Ball FREE on Memorial Day

FREE on Kindle this Memorial Day, May 25,  2015

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May we all reflect this day on the sacrifices made for us by our countrymen!

You Will Never Be Forgotten by Teresa S. Mathews

You Will Never be Forgotten

You forgot about your fears and quickly grabbed your gun,                                 
and into the thick of the battle you did bravely run.

Never once did you stop to think about all of the dangers,                                   
you were there to protect us, whether family, friends or strangers.

Fighting for your country to remain proud and free                                       
wanting each and every one of us to keep our liberty.

Fighting with bold courage never thinking of the cost;                                      
never giving up even if it meant your life would be lost.

Thank you for your bravery and dying for this great land,                                   
you will forever be remembered as a selfless woman or man.

May your families be forever proud of the sacrifice you made;                         
may you live long in their hearts and your memories never fade.

"You will not be forgotten" are the words we humbly say;                   
remembering the sacrifice you made for us that day.

Because of your valor Old Glory is free to proudly wave                                  
o'er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!

© Teresa S. Mathews 2014

May Their Bravery Always Be Remembered

Thanks to http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=85893&picture=memorial-day-tribute for use of this picture.

Memorial Day and the Civil War by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Memorial Day began after the Civil War. Never before had so many casualties been caused.  With the advent of the minie ball, a French invention, rifles could be used in combat. One of the reasons there is so much death and gore associated with this war is because of this new type of battle. And thus many field hospitals were required and more injuries than either side thought possible.  Nursing as a profession began out of necessity to treat the injured soldiers.

This is the 400th anniversary of Shirley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia, which served as a field hospital for both Union and Confederate troops.  The ladies of Shirley Plantation rose to the task and assisted in serving the injured.   I can't imagine the mother of adult sons not feeling compassion for those lying in her fields.  

Did you know--Robert E. Lee spent much of his childhood at Shirley Plantation with his mother, one of the Carter daughters?  Former governor and American Revolutionary War hero Henry "Lighthorse" Lee married Anne Carter, his second wife. However,  Anne and Robert lived at Shirley for some time and part of the laundry building at Shirley was converted into a school room for him. There are two versions I have heard of why Henry Lee left his family and departed for the islands. One was that he sought to escape possible imprisonment for debts but the other, per Wikipedia is that he was severely injured while defending a friend from attack, was beaten severely himself, and went to the Indies to recover. Regardless he died on a Georgia island when Robert was about eleven.

This weekend Julian Charity will be doing a book signing at Shirley Plantation on Saturday and on Monday, Memorial Day.  He will be signing his book "Courage at Home and Abroad."

Do you have family letters from those who served on either side of this conflict?  If so, what were you most deeply touched by?