Memorial Day Tributes

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Excellent CD...just excellent. Thank you.

Here's a story from that era too. I've got a handful of years on you CD...I was 16 when this story played out in our family.

My brother-in-law, who had already served four tours of duty in Vietnam and had been wounded a few times, came home for leave at Christmas in 1970. His son, my nephew, was less than a year old and had been with his father only once before at birth. This Christmas leave was especially meaningful to their family. A time for the young family to get to know each other and bond. Time was short for this.

Christmas dinner was served at my folks house with all of the family and some relatives invited. My uncle and some of my brothers were very opposed to the war. There was a war being waged in Southeast Asia for certain, but there was also a war being waged back home in the media as well. For all of us who lived through those turbulent and troubling times times I think I can speak for everyone and say 'those times relative to the war' were not fun at all.

Back to Christmas dinner. It didn't take long for the tension to rise and reach an intolerable level. I don't remember specifically what was said, but I vividly remember the results. The 'discussion' of the war got personal and ugly. You can imagine, right? Mere words here on this board cannot come close to conveying the immense discomfort racing around our Christmas dinner table. It finally reached a point that my brother-in-law, along with his wife and baby son got up from the table and finished their Christmas dinner in a bedroom.

I will never forget this. It was like the whole controversy swirling around the war was encapsulated in this one extremely ugly incident at our family's Christmas dinner table.

For those of you who may wonder why I try to maintain the peace at times on this website I can tell you that our family Christmas dinner in 1970 had a life altering effect on me. My very brave veteran brother-in-law will be getting a long overdue call from me today. I urge everyone to take the time on this Memorial Day weekend to reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day.

Thank you again CD for that post.

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One of the things I remember about the Vietnam war was the death and injury count a Philadelphia paper ran on the front page every day. How many were killed/injured the previous day and a running total. Kind of morbid but it was the first thing I looked at when I opened the paper. When a local soldier was killed it brought the reality of war to my doorstep. I was born in 1956 so I grew up during the war and missed the draft by a couple of years.

I remember laying in bed in those days and thinking about some of the guys I knew (older brothers of friends) 6000 miles away fighting in a jungle in the middle of nowhere while I was in the safety of my home. How scared were they? How would I deal with it? How would my mother deal with it? I still can't imagine how they felt then and how the soldiers feel now.

A huge thank you to all soldiers past and present!

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remember laying in bed in those days and thinking about some of the guys I knew (older brothers of friends) 6000 miles away fighting in a jungle in the middle of nowhere while I was in the safety of my home. How scared were they? How would I deal with it? How would my mother deal with it? I still can't imagine how they felt then and how the soldiers feel now.

They were real scared. You would deal with it just as we did. My mother called the White House, she wanted my orders cancelled! We felt it was our duty just as the soldiers today do ..... even though many they are protecting just don't get it!

God Speed to the many who are gone and to their families!!

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
HEADQUARTERS AMERICAL DIVISION
APO San Francisco 96374

GENERAL ORDERS 22 August 1968
NUMBER 6258

AWARD OF THE SILVER STAR

Claiborne, Michael R. US********, SPECIALIST FOUR E4,
Company A, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Brigade APO 96219

Awarded: Silver Star
Date action: 23-24 January 1968
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason: For Gallantry in action against an armed hostile force on 23 and 24 January 1968 in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Four Claiborne distinguished himself by intrepid actions while serving as a fire team leader with Company A, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry during search and clear operations in Dragon Valley, Republic of Vietnam. On that date, two members of Specialist Claiborne's fire team had gone outside the perimeter of their night defensive position to set up claymore mines and trip flares. Suddenly, Specialist Claiborne heard two bursts of fire from automatic weapons. He immediately secured his weapon and rushed to the aid of his comrades. He saw that his men were pinned down in a small clearing by snipers, whereupon, he told the men to prepare to move and courageously stepped out into the open to decoy the fire of the enemy. When the snipers began to concentrate their fire on him, he shouted to his men to move back to safety while he initiate retaliatory fire which quickly silenced the snipers. The next day his platoon was notified they would be the lead element for movement that day. Specialist Claiborne, realizing the seriousness of the situation, bravely volunteered to be point man. Shortly after the unit had moved out, Specialist Claiborne saw a clearing ahead and a heavily foliated knoll beyond. Instinctively, he turned to the man behind him and told him to pass the word back that something was amiss and to proceed with caution.. He had proceeded halfway through the area when Viet Cong snipers opened fire on him with automatic weapons from the knoll to his front. Seeing that his comrade had been wounded by the intense sniper fire and was still in a vulnerable position, Specialist Claiborne quickly left his position and used himself as a shield for his fallen comrade while initiating suppressive fire at the enemy. Through his gallant efforts, the wounded man was able to reach safety. Specialist Claiborne remained in the open area despite the enemy fire, and called for his machine gunner and grenadier to come forward. He then directed their fire at the enemy. Rallying the men around him, Specialist Claiborne led the assault against the enemy. Braving a hail of enemy fire, Specialist Claiborne crossed a rice paddy to reach the location of the snipers on the knoll. He quickly located one of the enemy positions and destroyed it with a hand grenade. He then initiated devastating fire on the other sniper position, forcing the insurgent to flee the area. Specialist Four Claiborne's personal bravery and exemplary devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Americal Division, and the United States Army.

Authority: By direction of the President under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 9 July 1918.

FOR THE COMMANDER

OFFICIAL

Bernard L Callaham Nels A Parson Jr.
LTC, AGC Colonel, GS
Adjutant General Chief of Staff


As many of you recall, Mike died of a catastrophic stroke, Mar 7, 2008. Three weeks before his 65th birthday.
God bless all who have served and are serving. I pray for their safety and give thanks for their patriotism.

Thank you for sharing that bbmom, cd, and everyone else. So moving.

I still have the pleasure of listening to my dad's WW2 stories. As he gets older I think those memories become more important to him.


God bless all our men and women in harm's way today, serving their country, and the many thousands who have come home injured.


Happy memorial day everyone. I know I'll cry again at the parade tomorrow, I do every year