Tim Moxey
No, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day are not the same thing. Let’s just start there for those of you who do not know.
Videos by Rare
Intentions may be positive when someone thanks a veteran for their service on Memorial Day, but it may cause for an awkward moment or two.
Society seems to have combined the meanings of Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day into one general good tiding, despite their very different meanings. Memorial Day is meant to honor those who served that perished in the line of duty. Veteran’s Day, or Armistice Day in some regions, is a more catch-all holiday for honoring everyone who served, living and dead. So don’t mess it up.
There is no such thing as an ex-Marine…
Pity to the unsuspecting writer that incorrectly identifies someone who was once an active-duty Marine, that is no longer. There is no such thing as an ex-Marine. Though some won’t get offended at the misappropriated title, it’s important to understand why others do.
“The expression “once a Marine – always a Marine” is hammered into every recruit who makes it through boot camp at either Parris Island or San Diego.,” retired Marine Corps Col. Oliver North told Fox News on the subject in 2007. “It is an expression derived from the Marine Corps motto “Semper Fidelis” which means “Always Faithful” in Latin.”
Watch out for a side of controversy with your summer fireworks…
In recent summers it has become common for posts to go viral on social media that remind neighbors that some veterans are sensitive to loud noises. Signs that read “Combat Veteran Lives Here,” pop up around the country during holidays where fireworks are deployed. Matt Mcelhinney, a Purple Heart recipient who runs the popular military blog, Crusty Pissed Off Veterans , takes a different approach around the holidays.
“The number one thing that makes me absolutely insane this time of year, is obnoxious veterans. They run amuck on Facebook pontificating about “The meaning of memorial day,” Mcelhinney told Rare via email. “They come out interrupting their neighbor’s [barbecue] like the Spanish inquisition, scolding people for their lack of piety on this day. It never fails. Every year I go on Facebook and I see some goon standing behind those obnoxious fireworks signs.”
According to Mcelhinney, most combat veterans he has spoken to aren’t a fan of the signs.
“Let people enjoy their bbq’s, pay your respects to the fallen, and for god’s sake, get rid of those obnoxious fireworks signs.”
If you didn’t earn the uniform, don’t you dare wear it…
There is good reason why videos of “Stolen Valour” incidents go viral on social media driven websites. When encountering someone who is pretending to be a veteran of the
