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Tomorrow is Memorial Day or Decoration Day as it was first known......

By Don Rogers

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield

May 25, 2008 01:15 AM

Tomorrow is Memorial Day or

Decoration Day, as it was first known, was proclaimed on May 5, 1868 By General John Logan with the directions on how to celebrate it by this general order:

"...gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime....let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan." --General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868

Last year during the NAR Mid Year meetings, I had an opportunity to take a tour of the Pentagon at the invitation of Master Sergeant Jose Merza. I was accompanied by my President Elect Keith McCullough. After leaving the Pentagon we went to Arlington Cemetery. If you have never been to Arlington let me suggest that if you are looking for some historic place to visit place Arlington at the top of the list. To see the graves of our fallen heroes is awe inspiring and very humbling. We visited several well known grave sites with President John F. Kennedy's being one and then we went to the Tomb Of The Unknowns. The ceremony at the Tomb Of The Unknowns is something to behold and to know the history of the guards makes it all the more humbling.

We owe all of our service men and women a very big thank you for their service to the US of A. Take the time today to visit one of the many memorials set up to honor our men and women who have served and are serving today in the US Military. It is because of them that we are able to enjoy all of the freedoms that we have today and will continue to have in the future.

Let me introduce you to two young men that I am proud to say I have watched them grow up and serve their country. They are Master Sergeant Jose Merza and Staff Sergeant Daryle Rogers(my son). Both of them have served in the first Gulf War and in Bagdad, Iraq. Both of them are still on active duty, Jose is still stationed at the Pentagon and my son is stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. These are just two of many who have served, and are still serving their country, in addition to the many who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

This Memorial Day say THANK YOU to a VET, not only today but every time you see one.

PRIDE

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Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Thank you Patty for stopping in and being the first to comment. I hope that you have a
GREAT Memorial Day weekend. Tell your husband I said THANK YOU for his service to our country.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 01:43 AM

Denise Shockey

RE/MAX Aerospace Realty - Cocoa Beach, FL

Cocoa Beach, Brevard County Florida Real Estate

Hi Don, what a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing with us and reminding us of what Memorial Day is about. You must be so proud of your son, he really looks sharp! Thanks and take care.

May 25, 2008 01:43 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Good morning Denise, I am very proud of my son and I am equally proud of all of the men and women who proudly serve our country. If my son knew that I introduced him and his lifelong friend to the AR community he would hand me my head so please don't tell him.

Thank you for dropping in and commenting.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 01:49 AM

Cathy Blight

ReMax Platinum - Brighton, MI

Thanks for a great post Don. Yesterday as my daughter, grandson and I were shopping, she noticed an elderly man in a wheelchair in front of the store, handsomely dressed in his military uniform, accepting donations for the VFW. He was very frail, and his hand shook as he held out the donation can. We placed our donations in the can and accepted his offer of a poppy. As I tied my poppy on my purse my daughter asked me why they handed them out. I was a bit taken aback. "Don't you know about Flander's Field?" I asked. She didn't. I replied with a verse from the poem we all know so well, "In Flander's Field the poppies grow, beneath the crosses, row on row". She'd never heard of it. Call me crazy, but what are they teaching in history class? She knew so little about the WWII, even though she had been to college, and majored in education! That afternoon she got a history lesson! My husband is a Vietnam Vet. His father was a WWII Vet. Looking back, we should have taught our children about these things. But like so many parents, we assumed they were learning all about it in school. Looks like we were wrong. My daughter knew the basics about the war, and the dates of other wars, but that was about it. The human side of the story was missing. Things like...why we wear poppies. What a shame this generation has never been taught the story as it should be told. As a genealogist, the human side of world history and of course family history is very important to me. Looks like I need to have a talk with my children and grandchildren! Thanks again Don! Hope your post inspires others to do the same!

May 25, 2008 02:17 AM

Leesa Finley

RED Properties - Wake Forest, NC

RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate

Don - what a wonderful post! I did not know about Decoration Day! That is extremely interesting, so, thanks for educating some of us! The pictures are beautiful and I can't imagine the pride - overwhelming!

May 25, 2008 02:26 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Cathy, Thanks for stopping in and commenting. You are so right about education today, I'm not sure what is being taught anymore. Oh BTW, Thanks for the tears too, I too am a Vietnam Vet and my father was a Korean War Vet and was called up twice for Vietnam. He passed away in 1992.

Thanks again.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 02:38 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Leesa, Thank You.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 02:40 AM

Ken Tracy

Coldwell Banker Residential - Naperville, IL

Helping clients buy and sell since 2005

Hi Don. Congrats on your son. You have done a fine job.

Ken

May 25, 2008 02:40 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Ken, Good morning sir and thank you for stopping by and commenting. My son has taught me many life lessons and I am very proud of him as I am all three of my children.

Thank you again my firend.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 02:55 AM

Terry Rasner-Yacenda

Broker,Owner - Dreams Realty - Reno, NV

"Dreams Realty"

Hi Don -- Happy Memorial Day to you and yours. Let me say in tribute to my father-in-law who passed away earlier this month: God bless America and all the gallant men and women that served with him in WWII. He fought the war from the air and ground as a paratrooper in the 101 Airborne!

May 25, 2008 03:19 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Terry, Thank you for stopping by and commenting. We are loosing our WWII vets everyday, a very special thanks to your father-in-lay and his family. I can only imagine what these guys went through and I thank them for their sacrifice.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 03:52 AM

Melody Botting

Broker Associate PenFed Realty - San Antonio, TX

You Deserve The Best

Thanks for the post. My Father served in Vietnam. He passed July 2002. I think of him often but especially around Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and The Fourth of July. He was the most patriotic person I have ever known.

May 25, 2008 04:11 AM

Robert L. Brown

www.mrbrownsellsgr.com - Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids Real Estate Bellabay Realty, West Mic

My brother and father both served (Korea and Iraq) and i honor them and all of the service people who have kept us FREE!!

May 25, 2008 07:24 AM

Terry & Bonnie Westbrook

Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI

Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

You should be proud and thank all that serve. It is too bad we need to have them in harms way but they do a tremendous job and we take them for granted. Thanks you son for his service and thanks for the post.

May 25, 2008 11:41 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Melody, Thank you for coming by and commenting. I'm sorry to hear about your father and I thank him for his service. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 12:27 PM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Robert, I thank you for your father and brothers' service tell them thank you. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 12:29 PM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Terry, I appreciate your comment, thank you for stopping in. I will be sure to tell my son thanks for you.

Don R.

May 25, 2008 12:32 PM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Pam,

Thank you for stopping by today and commenting. I am sorry to hear bout the loss of your father I want you to know that I appreciate your family for sharing him with the US of A during a very trying time in our history. He will be missed greatly.

Don R.

May 26, 2008 03:41 AM

* Rate A Home

Rate A Home - Saugatuck, MI

Don, beautiful ThemThem to Jose and Daryle, thank you to each of them for their services to our country, I'm proud of them and all of our military past and present.

Thanks for sharing with the ThemThem Group.

May 26, 2008 03:48 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Duane, Thank you for your kind words and for stopping by.

Don R.

May 26, 2008 03:56 AM