Memorial Day 2013

This morning Chimge and I woke early and drove the seventy miles to Pensacola so we could attend the Memorial Day ceremony at Pensacola Naval Air Station/ Barrancas National Cemetery. It was well worth the drive. BG(R) Al Gilley was the guest speaker and gave a very moving address. One of the finest I have heard over the many years of attending Memorial Day ceremonies. Not only did it rise to the level one would expect on such a day, but it was very informative and educational.

After the ceremony, Chimge and I walked in the gardens and visited the graves of our fallen heros. Graves of soldiers who lost their lives in battle and for whom Memorial Day was set a side to honor.

The cover of the flyer for the ceremony.

A view across the gardens.

Chimge walking a row in the gardens.

Another view of the garden.

Mrs. Angela Nash, the Director of the Barrancas National Cemetery.

CAPT Keith Hoskins-Commander of NAS Pensacola, MG(R) Gilley, Mrs. Nash and Robert F. Hall Jr. the Chairman, Memorial Day Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Council, Inc.

Chimge and I.

Below are just a few of the men who we visited today and briefly paid our respects.

(Killed in Action- KIA)

LCPL Marcus Mahee, KIA 9 May 2005, Iraq

PFC Matthew C. Colin, KIA 16 Nov 2011, Afghanistan

SSG Christopher Brown, KIA 3 APR 2012, Afghanistan

CPL Jonathan Spears, Jr., KIA 23 Oct 2005, Iraq

PVT Robert Johnson, KIA, US Civil War, Florida

SSG Cliford C. Sims, KIA 21 FEB 1968, Republic of Vietnam. SSG Sims is one of three Medal of Honor Recipient buried in Barrancas National Cemetery. He served with the 101st Airborne Division, D Co. 2/501st. SSG Sims was killed when he selflessly through himself on an explosive device and took the full brunt of the blast in order to save his men, he died instantly.

A final look across the gardens.

I hope that each of you took a moment today to reflect on the lives cut short, the lives of men and women who died in the service of this great nation for our freedoms and our way of life.

My God Bless them, their families and the United States of America.

Pre-Memorial Day activities

Tomorrow across America we observe Memorial Day. We will remember those who sacrificed their lives in the many wars our nation has fought and continues to fight. We will each pass the 27th of May 2013 in our own way. For those of us blessed to come from military families and communities we will honor one of our nations promises to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We will remember them and honor them for their sacrifice in defense of our nation and our way of life.

In preparation for Memorial Day, Christopher and I went out to Eglin AFB to visit a Memorial which is dedicated to the memory of United States Air Force personnel who gave their life in the Republic of Vietnam. The Memorial is near a very peaceful lake along the Memorial Trail which leads to the all wars memorial. The trees and park near the Memorial are dedicated in their memory. We took a few moments to clean the memorial, remove a  few leaves and replace the two flags. We were joined by an Airman who was walking by. The three of us, one to young to understand kept a promise to the men memorialized; we remembered them and paid our respects with a small act of service.

The Memorial.

The memorial reads:

Memorial Lake

Dedicated to the member of the United States Air Force who lost their lives in the Vietnam Conflict

They gave their last full measure of devotion to the cause of Freedom

We remember them not as heroes

But as husbands, fathers, brothers and friends

We hope that each of you who reads this will take a moment to remember the husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our nation. In doing so, you to will help keep our nations promise to remember them and honor their memories.

May all those who fell rest in eternal peace. And may their families find peace and comfort in their continued legacy which is our freedom and way of life.

Learning to make a Mongolian dish, Buuz

Daddy is not the only cook in the house, of course their is me and then their is Mommy and Auntie. Mommy and Auntie are the Mongolian Food experts. Since we are having company over for Memorial Day, Mommy and Auntie wanted to share a little taste of Mongolia with them. That means I was called into learn. They saw me baking bread and figured next time I could make the Buuz.

Here is Auntie demonstrating and me watching.

Here is me demonstrating I understand.

And now I am working.

Here is Mommy lining the buuz up.

Auntie is working with me.

Ummmm. The best part of making buuz. Eating them!!! Yum.

That plate is full. I will be hear for awhile.

By time I am five I will be a master chef. I am learning American and Mongolian dishes. Good thing Daddy takes me out on a lot of walks and runs. Have to work off all the good food.

A trip to Panama City Beach to hang with the Family

One of the nice things about being in Florida is we are really close to my peoples. That is what I call family, incase you wondering what I am saying. Since it is a Holiday Weekend, my peoples came down to Florida to Aunt Coleen's beach house. So we took the hour of so ride so we could all hang out.

Here is the peoples on the beach and in the water. We have our own spot reserved. We are VIPs.

Mommy and Auntie Nomin in the Gulf of Mexico.

Me with Uncle Frank, we are running a remote controlled boat.

Me watching Auntie Nomin and Mommy bury Zachery and Jacob.

Hanging with Grandpa Ed in the shade.

Me and Daddy buried Mommy. We were nice and buried her in the shade.

Back at the beach house relaxing.

Jacob was teaching me how to use the I-pad thing.

After a day of sun and surf we retired to the beach house. Grandpa Ed and Daddy cooked steaks and we all had a great dinner. Nothing like good company and good food!

If I did not have the pictures I would think it was a dream. Ate, got sleepy and woke up in my bed. Hmmmm, funny how that seems to happen a lot.

Can not wait til every one comes to visit us, so we can do Turkey Creek.

Time to bake the bread

One thing I am learning from Daddy is how to cook and bake. I have been learning so well, that now he just sends me into the kitchen with an order I make it happen. Like Daddy says, "If you cook, you eat what you like"! And I do love fresh baked bread.

After mxing the flour, water, yeast and other secret ingedents you have a big blob of dough.

Then I have to make the big blob, into what ever it is I am making.

Rolling it out is a lot of work.

Have to make it nice and flat.

Then Mommy comes home and grabs you up for hugs. Here you can see a load in the oven and another one rising on the stove. When I bake, I bake. A lot of this bread was head to Panama City Beach for Aunt Coleen's family.

Mommy loves bread too and is always so nice when I bake it. Of course, Mommy is always so nice to me even when I do not bake bread. I have a very good Mommy and Daddy is ok. After all, he does make me work in the kitchen.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but not in that order!

Planes, Trains and automobiles are my three most favorite things to see, play with and ride on. Mommy and Daddy of course know this, so they took me to do all three. We took a trip to Panama City and Tyndell AFB, FL.

Me and Mommy at the train station.

Me and Mommy on the train.

Auntie Learning to fly.

Auntie Flying.

Me waving at the crowds.

The three Mongolians at the Miracle Strip.

Me piloting a Bi-Plane.

The boat was not as cool, but I went on so Mommy and Daddy would not cry.

Horse riding.

Got to drive a fire truck, which is an automobile.

Here is Auntie and me on the spinner! Mommy and Daddy chicken out.

Here we are at Tyndell going to see the real air planes. Mommy would not let me fly these.

Me and Auntie next to the cool looking plane.

It was a really fun day and I got to do all the really cool things I like. Which when you are three makes it a really good day. Of course spending it with Mommy, Daddy and Auntie made it a really good day too!

Some time out with everyone!

While out on one of our many adventures, we found Turkey Creek. Mommy thought it was a trailer park and Daddy knew it was a park, but thought it was really small. Turns out, but were totally wrong. It is a 3/4 mile trail that runs along the creek on a elevated platform and has swimming hole access. Basically it is one of the coolest parks we have been too.

I was tired, been here already. First Daddy and I found it and then we brought Mommy and Auntie. This is the three of us, Daddy, Auntie and me... Mommy took the picture.

Mommy being cool on the end of the dock.

The Mongolian Club, Daddy had to take the picture.

A wide shot of me trying to throw Mommy in the water.

Then we went to the Bay Park and played. They had an old school climbing thing, they had these when Daddy was little. No plastic, no mats, just metal and a hard hit at the bottom. Explains a lot about Daddy.

Close up!

The new ones are much cooler....

Mommy wondering if she could swim it.

Mommy and Auntie watching me.

We swinging in an old school swing.

We all had a nice time and now Daddy is all caught up with his blogging!