Memorial Day.

[old pudd fisher]

I know this is a little soon but I just would like to give my thanks to all the brave men and women that have served our country, past and present. You are all heros.

[JHDucky]

I hope everyone takes a moment this weekend to remember those that gave us their all so that we can enjoy this weekend and our freedoms.

[Lady Quagga]

Vin Scully during the play-by-play, Memorial Day, 2010.

...to remind myself of the tremendous debt that I owe to people down through the years who served in uniform, as Chris Young takes ball one, one and oh. And I'm more concerned really for the youngsters who might be watching or listening as we take in this game today.

The one-oh pitch on the way is swung on and missed, one and one.

So if you don't mind, I'm just going to duck in a couple of numbers along the way, as the G.I.'s are here, taking in the game. And we'll start — and we're only going to use the number for the total dead and wounded — in a few of our country's wars.

The one-one pitch in for a strike, one and two.

Let's go all the way back to the Revolutionary War. There were fifty thousand dead and wounded.

Let's then move to the Civil War, and there were a lot of other wars in between.

The one-two pitch to Young is way off the plate.

The Union, in the Civil War, suffered a total of dead and wounded: 646,000. And the Confederates at least 260,000.

Two-two pitch on the way is a high fly ball into deep left center. Kemp is watching that head for the seats, and it's outta here. And just like that, the Diamondbacks have a three to nothing lead on home runs by Upton and Young.

So the D'backs are a hungry ball club. They have now hit sixty-two home runs. Compare that to the Dodgers, who have forty-one. And for Young, who is not hitting at all on the road trip, his eighth home run and his thirty-ninth run batted in.

So D'backs three, Dodgers nothing, and Gerardo Parra, a left-hand batter coming up, with a .244 batting average and seven runs batted in.

Billingsley into the windup now, the right-hander delivers, and it's low, ball one.

Let's move to World War I. The total dead and wounded: 320,518.

The one-oh pitch on the way, in for a strike.

Let's move to World War II. 1,076,000 dead or wounded, plus over thirty thousand missing.

The one-one pitch, waved at and missed.

Let's go to the Korean War. And if you're old enough to remember the Korean War, they never called it a war. They called it a police action. Police action? Holy mackerel! 128,000 were killed or wounded, with forty-seven hundred missing.

The pitch inside, two balls and two strikes.

The Vietnam War. Total wounded and dead in combat: 211,454.

The two-two pitch is swung on and missed, and down goes Parra.

In the Vietnam War, there were also about twenty-five hundred among the missing. And then just to bring it up to date, and we're going to forget about all the battles and the Persian Gulf, but the War on Terror, right now, over a hundred thousand. In Afghanistan, seven thousand dead or wounded, and in the Iraq War, over thirty-six thousand wounded or dead.

So those are the reasons we're here today, and those are the reasons why Memorial Day means so much to so many of us. And we want to make sure the little guys and girls who are coming up behind us understand what is behind this day. Not just a ballgame.

Here's the one-oh pitch on the way to Snyder....

(Thanks to Sons of Steve Garvey (http://www.sonsofstevegarvey.com/2010/06/vin-scully-on-memorial-day.html) for the transcript.)

[661Bass'n]

Speakin as a Vet, and recently retired Navy Chief, it's a little thanks the Men and Woman in uniform get that makes a huge difference in their lives, and they appreciate it very much. Words mean a lot. All that have served/serving make a big sacrifice, I can say my sacrifice was missing a lot of time/holiday's/birthday's, etc with my 4 children, but I think as they get older they understand why I had to leave the multiple times on the big Warship, as they looked up at me from the Pier. Less than 1% serve in the Armed Forces, think about that!! All gave some, but some gave all !! Enjoy our Memorial day, we deserve the time to reflect and give thanks!!! I know I will !!!

[Nessie Hunter]

My flag will be flying high!!!

I will also be driving out to visit an Ex Marine friend at Arvin Calif., in the new National Cemetery..
Semper Fi George McKenzie......
http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/bakersfield.asp

[HBAR]

I know this is a little soon but I just would like to give my thanks to all the brave men and women that have served our country, past and present. You are all heros.

Thank you for your service OPF

[old pudd fisher]

Thanks for that bro. It seems that Memorial Day just means hot dogs and barbecued hamburgers to most folks.

[HBAR]

"For those who have fought for it, freedom has flavor the protected will never know"

on the back of a Sgt Grit shirt I got in 2007

[Which Way Out]

Always respect for our Troops and a day I always fly the Flag High, even if it's only on my Jeep antenna.

l-Flag here
l
l__ _______
l/l. ,[___:Thumbs Up:],
l---l_ -=olllllllo_
()_) ()_)-~--)_)

God Bless

[old pudd fisher]

"For those who have fought for it, freedom has flavor the protected will never know"

on the back of a Sgt Grit shirt I got in 2007

Well said indeed!