The weekend that unofficially ushers in summer is here already. Though it is not for a few weeks until the calendar says it is summer, Memorial Day weekend is usually the kickoff with picnics, backyard barbecues, visits to the beach or campgrounds. But it is also a time to remember. Lest We Forget Memorial Day Remembrance is a day we remember all Americans that died in military service.There are affiliate links in this post.
Decoration Day
The holiday, that began after the Civil War, was originally known as “Decoration Day,” and was founded to honor the soldiers who died in that war. Though John and I have many family members who have served and currently serve in the military, only one lost his life. My husbands great, great, great grandfather was injured in the second battle of Bull Run during the Civil War and later succumbed to his injuries. He is interred in the Nashville National Cemetery, Tennessee. Soldiers Salvation Bible
In a little cedar chest I was given at my high school graduation, I keep some of the military items belonging to our fathers. Among the WW II memorabilia and ephemera, we found a tiny paper booklet. Titled, Our Salvation Bible, each page is filled with verses. It was Copyright 1942 by John Ray Hinkle, Dayton, Virginia. I don’t know if each soldier was given one of these or perhaps they were made available from a Chaplain. Maybe they were given from one soldier to another.
These are the words inside the front cover: Carry this little Bible with you and read it DAILY as reading God’s Word will keep you from sin OR sin will keep you from reading God’s Word.
Just 2 by 2 ½ inches in size and 40 pages in length, it presents the gospel in a tiny booklet that a soldier would carry and turn to as he faced the perils of his service.
…and thou forgavest the inequity of my sin.
the best words ever!
Lest We Forget
Do you have someone dear to you that has or is currently serving in the military? Have you lost someone who has made the greatest sacrifice?
I remember and give thanks to each of you.
Some quotes to contemplate as we celebrate Memorial Day…
May we never forget freedom isn’t free.
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Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.
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The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.
Thomas Campbell
The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.
Benjamin Disraeli
They are dead; but they live in each Patriot’s breast,
And their names are engraven on honor’s bright crest.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Lest we forget ~ Honoring Veterans
Better than honor and glory, and history’s iron pen, was the thought of duty done and the love of his fellow-men.
Richard Watson Gilder
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.
Joseph Campbell
Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours.
Wallace Bruce
We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them.
Francis A. Walker
Hope yours is a reflective and delightful weekend!
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You might also like…Memorial Day Printables
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That was interesting! Hope you enjoyed this special weekend.
Amalia
xo
What a nice little yreasure. That little book looks like brand new. A lot of my family members have served but none have died while on active duty. I had one uncle who died in a motorcycle accident when he was on his way home after being discharged