Duty, Honor, Country

 

Duty, Honor, Country.
Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be,
what you can be, what you will be.
- Douglas MacArthur

War settles nothing.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

The soldier above all others prays for peace,
for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the
deepest wounds and scars of war.
- Douglas MacArthur

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence,
is a continuing imperative.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks.
Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned;
perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow.
But when the person looks back - and at some point everyone look back -
she will hear her heart, saying,
"What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days?
What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you?"
- Paulo Coelho

If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery
as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man.
All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are,
the more they are frightened.
- George S. Patton

Our lives are to be used and thus to be lived as fully as possible,
and truly it seems that we are never so alive as when
we concern ourselves with other people.
- Harry Chapin

Further reading: Stop Trying to Grasp at "Security" 

Watch What You Pray For

Honorable Paths to Noble Goals
      

Veterans Day 2021

To All Veterans: Thank You For Your Service To Your Country.

Duty, Honor, Country.
Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be,
what you can be, what you will be.
- Douglas MacArthur

War settles nothing.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

The soldier above all others prays for peace,
for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the
deepest wounds and scars of war.
- Douglas MacArthur

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence,
is a continuing imperative.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks.
Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned;
perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow.
But when the person looks back - and at some point everyone look back -
she will hear her heart, saying,
"What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days?
What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you?"
- Paulo Coelho

If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery
as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man.
All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are,
the more they are frightened.
- George S. Patton

Our lives are to be used and thus to be lived as fully as possible,
and truly it seems that we are never so alive as when
we concern ourselves with other people.
- Harry Chapin

Further reading: Stop Trying to Grasp at "Security" 

Watch What You Pray For

Honorable Paths to Noble Goals
      

Veterans Day 2020

To All Veterans: Thank You For Your Service To Your Country.

Duty, Honor, Country.
Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be,
what you can be, what you will be.
- Douglas MacArthur

War settles nothing.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

The soldier above all others prays for peace,
for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the
deepest wounds and scars of war.
- Douglas MacArthur

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence,
is a continuing imperative.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks.
Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned;
perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow.
But when the person looks back - and at some point everyone look back -
she will hear her heart, saying,
"What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days?
What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you?"
- Paulo Coelho

If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery
as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man.
All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are,
the more they are frightened.
- George S. Patton

Our lives are to be used and thus to be lived as fully as possible,
and truly it seems that we are never so alive as when
we concern ourselves with other people.
- Harry Chapin

Further reading: Stop Trying to Grasp at "Security" 

Watch What You Pray For
Honorable Paths to Noble Goals
      

Veterans' Day 2019

To All Veterans: Thank You For Your Service To Your Country.

Duty, Honor, Country.
Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be,
what you can be, what you will be.
- Douglas MacArthur

The soldier above all others prays for peace,
for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the
deepest wounds and scars of war.
- Douglas MacArthur

Our lives are to be used and thus to be lived as fully as possible,
and truly it seems that we are never so alive as when
we concern ourselves with other people.
- Harry Chapin

Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks.
Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned;
perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow.
But when the person looks back - and at some point everyone look back -
she will hear her heart, saying,
"What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days?
What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you?"
- Paulo Coelho

War settles nothing.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence,
is a continuing imperative.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery
as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man.
All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are,
the more they are frightened.
- George S. Patton

Further reading: Stop Trying to Grasp at "Security" 

Honorable Paths to Noble Goals 

Watch What You Pray For 
      

Flag Day 2019

And so, my fellow Americans,
ask not what your country can do for you;
ask what you can do for your country.
- John F. Kennedy

True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.
- Clarence Darrow

Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost
my generation to preserve your freedom.
I hope you will make good use of it.
- John Quincy Adams

Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow -
red, yellow, brown, black and white - and we're all precious in God's sight.
- Jesse Brown

We are not afraid to follow truth
wherever it may lead,
nor to tolerate any error
so long as reason is left free to combat it.
- Thomas Jefferson

Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.
- Howard Zinn

Patriotism consists not in waving the flag,
but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.
- James Bryce

Further reading: Independence Day

Make a Difference, Vote

Presidents' Day

Save Only the Best of the Old Ways
      

Memorial Day 2019

No person was ever honored for what he received.
Honor has been the reward for what he gave.
- Calvin Coolidge

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.
- Anonymous

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.
- Pericles

A hero is someone who has given his life
to something bigger than himself
or something other than himself.
- Joseph Campbell

Death is not extinguishing the light;
it is only putting out
the lamp because the dawn has come.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Farewell My Friend
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
save the pain I'll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care...
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
for that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts
of those you love, remember then
you never die.
- Gitanjali Ghei

Further Reading: Going Home to God

Coping with Heartbreak

Coping With Loss, Grief, and Mortality

Tears and Laughter

What is Honor? Is there a place for Honor today?
      

Veterans Day 2018

To All Veterans: Thank You For Your Service To Your Country.

Duty, Honor, Country.
Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be,
what you can be, what you will be.
- Douglas MacArthur

Our lives are to be used and thus to be lived as fully as possible,
and truly it seems that we are never so alive as when
we concern ourselves with other people.
- Harry Chapin

War settles nothing.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks.
Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned;
perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow.
But when the person looks back - and at some point everyone look back -
she will hear her heart, saying,
"What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days?
What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you?"
- Paulo Coelho

If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery
as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man.
All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are,
the more they are frightened.
- George S. Patton

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence,
is a continuing imperative.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

The soldier above all others prays for peace,
for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the
deepest wounds and scars of war.
- Douglas MacArthur

Further reading: Honorable Paths to Noble Goals 

Stop Trying to Grasp at "Security"

Watch What You Pray For 
      

Flag Day 2018

And so, my fellow Americans,
ask not what your country can do for you;
ask what you can do for your country.
- John F. Kennedy

Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost
my generation to preserve your freedom.
I hope you will make good use of it.
- John Quincy Adams

We are not afraid to follow truth
wherever it may lead,
nor to tolerate any error
so long as reason is left free to combat it.
- Thomas Jefferson

True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.
- Clarence Darrow

Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.
- Howard Zinn

Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow -
red, yellow, brown, black and white - and we're all precious in God's sight.
- Jesse Brown

Patriotism consists not in waving the flag,
but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.
- James Bryce

Further reading: Independence Day

Presidents' Day

Make a Difference, Vote

Save Only the Best of the Old Ways
      

Remembering

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.
- Anonymous

No person was ever honored for what he received.
Honor has been the reward for what he gave.
- Calvin Coolidge

A hero is someone who has given his life
to something bigger than himself
or something other than himself.
- Joseph Campbell

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.
- Pericles

Death is not extinguishing the light;
it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Farewell My Friend
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
save the pain I'll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care...
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
for that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts
of those you love, remember then
you never die.
- Gitanjali Ghei

Further Reading: Memorial Day Quotes

Words of Comfort on the Death of a Loved One

Missing Someone

Coping With Loss, Grief, and Mortality

Service

Sacrifice