• Memorial Day 2015

It was beautifully overcast morning this Memorial Day as Wildomar Cemetery was the site of Faith Baptist Church's program to honor those that gave their lives for our freedom, and living veterans too.

The service started a little after 10:00am and lasted about an hour. It included patriotic music, the raising of the flag, the pledge of allegiance, poems of reflection, honoring the dead —including Eric Seaman who died on a mission of mercy in Nepal, and showing respect for the veterans that made it back.

A look at some of the veterans that were on hand.

I've never been to such an event before, and it's a shame that such important moments of reflection aren't more universally appreciated —by actual attendance (lip service is easy). My grandfather was in the Korean War, and I never actually thought to ask him about his service. I wish I could ask him today, but he died in 1999 at the tender age of 66 of a heart attack.

I bumped into Planning Commission Chairman (or Chairperson if you must) Veronica Langworthy just as I was taking some pictures of the two Korean War vets (in the light blue windbreakers). I was telling her about my grandfather, and she told me that her father had served in Korea too. I wonder if she could tell that I was having a difficult time holding it together at that moment?

↓ Here is a short video montage that captured the day from my perspective ↓

It was a great morning and very inspiring to be all that I can be, but I found something that didn't sit right with me. During a rousing 10 minute speech by Bruce Goddard, that was intended to well the hearts of the listener with pride, several times it turned to ideological politics where "The Liberal" was bashed repeatedly.

(Hit the 7:20 mark of the video to hit the first of the remarks in question. Also @ 8:20 and 8:30.)

Here is where I lose some "friends". Let me reestablish, once again, that I am neither Republican nor Democrat. Not a Liberal and not a Conservative. Though I didn't vote for Bush 43, he was my president and I didn't tolerate the Code Pinkies that tried to disparage him. Likewise, though I voted against Obama, I'm PROUD to call him MY president too.

Sorry, but the only thing worse than a Liberal is a Conservative — BOTH sides stink, and I find it disgusting to suggest that people that do not share your political leanings should have their patriotism challenged. Please keep your petty politics to yourself when we are honoring our war dead next time.

This is where I'd like to thank all those, even the liberals and the even conservatives, that fought on behalf of our nation. I can only imagine what you went through. In much the same way a life long blind person tries to imagine a sunset... yet fails. Try as we might, I'm sure that our best guesses aren't even close to what it was like in battle.

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“People say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Truth is, you knew what you had, you just never thought you’d lose it.” — Elite Daily

We at Wildomar Rap fondly remember mistaking "tangle" with "tango" when being reprimanded by grandpa Carter. I never understood why he wanted to dance instead of punish... silly me ☺.