From the sidewalks of Dorchester, Massachusetts, to
the jungles of Viet Nam, and ~~Thank you Lord~~ back
home safely, the thoughts of Memorial Day mean more
to me than the start of summer vacation, a day at
the beach, or a backyard barbeque.
During my teenage years, growing up in that Boston
suburb, a great deal of my activities and
relationships revolved around music, and drum and
bugle corps.
I think I marched in every kind of a parade
possible, including those Memorial Day Parades. At
the time, I didn't think too much of the
significance of them, other than it was another
opportunity to attract the attention of the opposite
gender in my spiffy, and sharp uniform.
Oh, yes!!! I made - and - lost friends in Viet Nam,
and Memorial Day suddenly had a hard hitting
significance to me.
Even still, it wasn't until about eight years ago,
when I was selling automobiles at a Lincoln Mercury
dealership, when I noticed a "biker" in a "Tank Top"
riding his Harley into the lot and pull up to a red
Mercury Cougar (the color almost matching his Harley
to a
"T").
He had long blondish-greyish hair coming from the
back of his helmet, and I wondered what he was doing
there. As I walked over to greet him, he removed
his head cover, and then I noticed that this was not
a young, nor a middle aged biker.
When I asked him about the Marine Corps emblem
emblazoned onto his Harley, I
got a story that sent chills up my spine (chills of
wonder - and of pride).
I was born in 1941, and while I was in diapers, this
man, Bob Browne (now a "biker" in his early
seventies with a body of an adonis), was among the
Marine Corps Assault Forces
in the Pacific Theater, landing on the beaches of
Guam, Iwo Jima, Leyte, Bouganville, and Wake Island,
among others. My history studies, taught me that
these were some of the bloodiest battles of the war,
costing thousands upon thousands of American
lives.
To me, Bob Browne was a "hero" and an honor to stand
beside. I stuck my hand out to Bob Browne, and
said, "Sir, may I thank you, for what you did over
there?"
Bob's reply was, as he took my hand, "No sir, you
may not thank me - but, let's together thank the men
I left behind on those beaches."
I learned something from Bob that day and the true
significance to me about the meaning of Memorial Day
comes more to light.
As we look at the grave markers in the background
photograph of this page -- let's ask ourselves if
one or more of Bob Browne's Marine Corps buddies
(left on those beaches) are among
them.
--- THANK YOU BOB ---
~~"SEMPER FI!"~~
I wish to thank
Doug
Kidd for all the graphics on this page.
PLEASE VISIT THESE PAGES
We Will Never Forget
(Wonderful Slide Show)
Forgotten Fighter
What Is Memorial
Day
(By Lt. Bobby Ross)
Veterans of Foreign Wars Homepage
Making of a Nation
(Slide Show)
Lest We Forget
(a must read web
page, by: Gunny)
Vietman Tour Through Pictures And Poetry
Sacrifices
(A Must Read
Experience)
All Things Patriotic
(The Palletmaster's Main Patriotic Page --- Includes some of above links)
Marine
Corps & Patriotic Graphics
(By: Doug Kidd)
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