Veteran burials hit record numbers.
By on May 25th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Veteran burials hit record numbers.
The AP notes that as the nation prepares to celebrate Memorial Day tomorrow, veteran burials are at a record high:
An average of 1,800 veterans die each day, and 10 percent of them are buried in the country’s 125 national cemeteries, which are expected to set a record with 107,000 interments, including dependents, this year. And more national cemeteries are being built.
The peak year for veterans’ deaths will be either 2007 or 2008, [Bill Tuerk, under secretary for memorial affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs] said. An estimated 686,000 veterans died in 2007. While many World War II veterans are dying, so are an increased number of Korean War and Vietnam veterans.
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George’s biggest contribution to American tradition.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:02 pmThank you for your service to our country, veterans.
Rest well…
May 25th, 2008 at 1:11 pmREST IN PEACE
aio
May 25th, 2008 at 1:11 pmThanks to all Veterans.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:21 pmWe’re just fadin’ away!
May 25th, 2008 at 1:24 pmMy uncle Pete was one of the Korean War vets that died last year, of cancer. He received 2 purple hearts and a bronze star. He lost an eye in Korea when the machine gun he was firing blew up in his face. That glass eye always freaked me out when I was a little kid =)
RIP veterans and thanks for your service.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:44 pmHarelip Harelip! Sorry Wayne and no disrespect to your uncle. I just couldn’t help myself. When I was a kid, there was this big kid that had to be in a playpen sort of deal. No one ever explained to me what was going on with Jimmy… It totally freaked me out.
May 25th, 2008 at 2:03 pmA little over 5 years ago my uncle, who was a veteran of the Normandy landing at Omaha Beach, passed away. The burial was in a small town in Iowa but two veterans, on now wobbly legs, fired off 3-round solutes using vintage Carbines. Following that the American flag that draped the coffin was folded and handed to the widow. That moving moment helped take the chill out of the cold February day and made you proud to be an American.
May 25th, 2008 at 2:23 pmValuable pieces of historical perspective are lost with each Veteran death.
If you know any, get them to talk, before it’s too late.
May 25th, 2008 at 4:05 pmIMHO, the best way to truly honor these brave vets is to prevent their willingness to sacrifice for a noble cause from being appropriated by craven corporate juggernauts. Corporations who embrace and benefit from imperialism, wrap it in a flag, toss in a bible and coerce the nation, via the corporate ownership of the MSM, into their personal ponzi schemes.
Corporations like Halliburton and Blackwater, who have assumed a veneer of Americana and patriotic zeal, diminish the honor and sacrifice of real patriots. Corporations like KBR and FOX protect real criminals at the expense of authentic patriots; patriots who’re willing to make the ultimate sacrifice only to find their “commander-in-chief” is an incompetent clown who believes lying about his golf game show solidarity with the real heroes.
IMHO, the best way to show real respect this Memorial day is to push for having a real investigation under way and charges pending against the entire bush administration for their criminal conduct and murderous avarice; also to have redeployment under way by next Memorial day…
Odd as it might sound, the “best” Memorial day, IMHO, is to have fewer sacrifices to honor as this nation ages, not more. We need to be smarter.
May 25th, 2008 at 5:12 pmI lost someone very special last year. He was buried with military honors at a national cemetery. I was very sad, but the much more overwelming emotion I had, was pride. Pride in his life of service, well lived.
Veterans are very special people. Thank you for your service.
May 25th, 2008 at 6:15 pmWill “W”, someday get on that list because he was the fearful commander in chief? Or because of his exemplary Air Guard duty?
May 25th, 2008 at 6:57 pm