Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Memorial Day

Memorial Day – Never Forget

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Last week I was watching a YouTube video where widows of service members were being brought together to make new friendships and heal. The Gary Sinise Foundation hosted their visit to Los Angeles, California.

One widow voiced the pain of all families and friends of fallen service members: their worst fear is their loved ones will be forgotten.

That is why this Memorial Day, pause and take time to remember, reflect, and respect the sacrifice of those who gave all when asked to by our country. This holiday is to show these families we will not forget their loss and their loved ones service, whether man, woman, or military working animal.

Let us also remember the families who still don’t have answers about the fate of their missing loved ones.

World War II  72,719

Korean War  7,661

Vietnam War  1,589

Cold War    126

Gulf Wars   5

El Dorado Canyon   1

Enjoy the holiday weekend, be safe, and never forget.

Memorial Day Remembrance

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Korean War Memorial, Washington, D.C., November 2005

by Kimberly A. Cook

Freedom isn’t free. Those words are powerful if we take the time to really think about the cost in lives. This three-day weekend is in honor of those who have died during military service, whether during war or peace. Men, women, and military animals have given their lives to protect us all.

On this coming Monday, please take a few moments to thank and honor the sacrifice of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to keep us free. Remember the cost to their fellow veterans, families and friends and their untimely deaths.

Because we don’t see the numbers, I wanted to list all the military lives lost to defend our country. I also want to honor the military members who stand guard today around the world.

America’s Wars from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

American Revolution
4,435 Battle Deaths

War of 1812
2,260 Battle Deaths

Indian Wars 
1,000  Battle Deaths (VA estimate)

Mexican War
1,733 Battle Deaths
11,550 Other Deaths (In Theater)

Civil War 
140,414 Union Battle Deaths
224,097 Union Deaths (In Theater)
74,524 Confederate Battle Deaths (Incomplete returns)
59,297 Confederate Deaths (In Theater) (Not including 26,000 to 31,000 who died in Union prisons.)

Spanish-America War
385 Battle Deaths
2,061 Other Deaths in Service

World War I
53,402 Battle Deaths
63,114 Other Deaths in Service

World War II
291,557 Battle Deaths
113,842 Other Deaths in Service

Korean War
33,739 Battle Deaths
2,835 Other Deaths (In Theater)
17,672 Other Deaths in Service

Vietnam War
47,434 Battle Deaths
10,786 Other Deaths (In Theater)
32,000 Other Deaths in Service

Desert Shield/Desert Storm
148 Battle Deaths
235 Other Deaths (In Theater)
1,565 Other Deaths in Service

Global War On Terror (Oct. 2001 – Present)
4,541 Battle Deaths Iraq per www.icasualties.org
2,411 Battle Deaths Afghanistan per www.icasualties.org

These numbers don’t account for the heavy toll of suicide on our troops since this nation was born. Reach out if you know a veteran who needs help.

Veterans Crisis Line 1.800.273.8255
http://www.VeteransCrisisLine.net
Veterans Crisis Line Text 838255

Freedom isn’t free.

Have a great, safe, Memorial Day weekend.

Honoring The Brave

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by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

This weekend we head into Memorial Day and last Saturday was U.S. Armed Forces Day. With all the crazy going on in the world, we can always rely on the men and women in our military doing their jobs day in and day out to keep us safe.

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Tomb Sentinels from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) conduct a changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery, Va., May 5, 2017. Members of The Old Guard have guarded the Tomb every second, of every day regardless of weather conditions since April 6, 1948. (U.S. Army photos by Pfc. Gabriel Silva)

 

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A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter arrives at the pickup zone at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, April 6. The aviators were taking part in a joint-training exercise with Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, in anticipation of working together during future Atlantic Resolve missions. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Thomas Scaggs)

 

I wanted to recognize all service members in the National Guard, Reserve, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force and our military animals. This Sunday on Memorial Day is a time to remember all those who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country.

Laboon is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations designed to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region
 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (May 11, 2017) Yeoman Seaman Theresa Porcellini mans the ship’s wheel from the aft steering station during a simulated toxic gas drill aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58). The ship is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations designed to reassure allies and partners, and preserve the freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class J. R. DiNiro/Released)

 

A picture speaks a thousand words, so these photos are courtesy of the Department of Defense amazing photographers.

 

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Pfc. Heaven Southard, an Army military working dog handler with the Directorate of Emergency Services, Area Support Group – Kuwait, releases her military working dog “Jerry” during a demonstration of MWD capabilities at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Mar. 7, 2017. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Dalton Smith)

 

Give a prayer of thanks for those who serve and take a moment of silence to honor those who gave their lives in defense of our country. Freedom isn’t free.

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GULF OF OMAN (March 2, 2017) Marines assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) disembark a landing craft air cushion (LCAC) after returning to the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) following exercise Sea Soldier 17. The annual, bilateral exercise is conducted with the Royal Army of Oman and is designed to demonstrate the cooperative skill and will of U.S. and partner nations to work together in maintaining regional stability and security. Somerset, with the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations designed to reassure allies and partners, preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce and enhance regional stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amanda Chavez/Released)

 

 

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USCG Motor Lifeboat 47213 conducting surf operations near the treacherous Columbia River Bar, Washington. The 47-foot Motor Life Boat is primarily designed as a fast-response rescue vessel for high-seas, surf, and heavy weather environments. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Jamie Thielen)

 

Angel Thunder 17
Angel Thunder 17
Air Force pararescuemen with the 58th Rescue Squadron prepare for aerial transport during a personnel recovery scenario at Pond Landing Zone during Angel Thunder 17 in Tucson, Ariz., May 11, 2017. Angel Thunder is a two-week, Air Combat Command-sponsored, joint certified and accredited personnel recovery exercise focused on search and rescue. The exercise is designed to provide training for personnel recovery assets using a variety of scenarios to simulate deployment conditions and contingencies. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marianique Santos)

 

Honor With Remembrance Those We’ve Lost

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by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

While we go about this long weekend spending time with families and friends, we must remember why we have Memorial Day. That is the day the nation honors and remembers the men, women and military animals who have given their lives in defense of freedom.

We take time to honor and remember those who have given the greatest sacrifice since we became a nation. Take a few minutes this weekend to think about and thank those who gave all for our country. Say a prayer for their friends and families who go on without them.

There are thousands of individual stories of these brave military service members who didn’t come home to their loved ones. Below is one story of a veteran who honors our fallen every day by using his talent.

Stay safe this long weekend and enjoy your freedoms; they were earned at the highest cost. Freedom isn’t free.

https://youtu.be/0htvj2qMtzY

Have A Safe And Thoughtful Memorial Day Weekend

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by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@    WarriorTales)

This Friday I wanted to let you know about an amazing place called Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. While most folks know the iconic images of this hallowed ground, to me it’s the honor and reverence by The Old Guard (3d US Infantry Regiment) and the cemetery staff that most folks don’t see that is truly respectful.

The first video shows The Old Guard performing the “Flags In” they do every year for Memorial Day, putting flags on every grave site on the more than 600-acre cemetery to remember and honor those at Arlington. The second is an hour-long National Geographic television special about Arlington National Cemetery and The Old Guard.

Have a wonderful long weekend for those of us not working this weekend. A thank you to those military and law enforcement personnel on duty across the globe so we can honor the sacrifice of our fallen this weekend. Be happy, be safe and hug somebody and your pets this weekend. Freedom isn’t free.

Here is the link to the National Geographic Special “Arlington: Field of Honor.”

https://youtu.be/EyOSpMjwZps

 

Take A Moment To Remember On Memorial Day

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by Kimberly A. Cook                  (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Next Monday is Memorial Day and many of us will be off work. In this age of Memorial Day sales and the rush out-of-town for a long weekend, take a few moments to reflect on what Memorial Day is really all about.

The Vietnam Wall at night on November 5, 2005, in Washington, D.C. The blue folder contains the War Stories I left there from my veteran writing students.
The Vietnam Wall at night on November 5, 2005, in Washington, D.C. The blue folder contains the War Stories I left there from my veteran writing students.

This national holiday was put into law to remember and honor the sacrifices of the men and women who died while in military service. It is also a time we can remember those who have served and passed on after war and peace. It’s also a time to honor and never forget those who never came home and are still Missing In Action or Prisoners of War, their fate never to be known.

Thumbing through the back newspapers from my vacation on Sunday, I came across an article that one of my former veteran writing students, Phillip Leveque, had passed at the age of 92. Phillip was a character in every sense of the word and never failed to entertain us all with his stories and brought tears to our eyes when telling the truth about his service during World War II.

He served with the 89th Infantry Battalion as a Battalion Scout and earned the Combat Infantry Badge. As he told it, “he walked from Luxembourg to near Dresden mostly under fire.”

In Oregon he is better known as the “Pot Doc,” a name he preferred to be remembered by as he introduced medical marijuana to Oregon and later lost his license issuing cards for users. In a news story in February of this year while he was on hospice he stated he was “very proud” that medical marijuana would be legal in Oregon this July, especially for veterans with level five and above PTSD.

It was an honor to coach Phillip for three years in my class and read his stories. Later he published his own book of war stories and I wish I had a copy. Life goes by quickly enough, so on this Memorial Day take a few moments to remember the men, women and military animals who gave their all to keep this country free.

Then go have a great picnic and celebrate the day in honor of those who are no longer with us. I know they are with us in spirit and would want us to play and have fun with family and friends, because those are the most important things in life after all. So raise a hot dog, beer or s’more in toast to them all on Memorial Day.

Those we’ve lost are watching from the true high ground and will be cheering us on. Land of the free, because of the brave.

Special Note: For all those now riding across the country on Run For The Wall to participate in Rolling Thunder in Washington, D.C. the day before Memorial Day, God Speed and ride safe.