theProf Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Collin Mooney on the true meaning of Memorial DayVaughn McClure, ESPN Staff Writer Atlanta Falcons fullback Collin Mooney set an Army single-season record with 1,339 rushing yards back in 2008. Mooney, commissioned in the field artillery branch of the Army, completed three years of active duty while stationed at Fort Still, Oklahoma. Memorial Day carries added significance for Mooney. He shared his thoughts with ESPN.com:For those who have lost a friend or loved one in the line of duty, every day is Memorial Day. A day does not go by that the loved ones of the fallen don’t think about those they have lost.Freedom comes at a high cost and that price is paid by the sacrifice of great men and women whose lives were taken from us too soon. They fought and sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy in this country every day. One of those fallen soldiers who has paid that price is my late friend 1LT Dimitri del Castillo. Dimitri was killed in action while fighting in Afghanistan in 2011. He was loving husband, son, brother, friend, and leader. He is severely missed and it is up to us to make sure his legacy lives on and that we honor him by living our lives to the fullest.We have an obligation to these men and women to not let their sacrifice be in vain. On Memorial Day, it’s important we not only take time to remember the fallen, but also take time to think about their families and what they have sacrificed. Memorial Day is a time to celebrate great men and women and a time to celebrate freedom. Along with the celebration it is imperative that we pause, reflect, and give thanks for the sacrifices others have made on our behalf. They would want us to enjoy this day to the fullest because that’s what they fought for.For me, having served in the military and lost friends in the line of duty, I have gained a different perspective on life and football. It has given me greater motivation to keep pushing forward. Every time I step on the field, I want to be able to represent them well. I want to honor my friends, classmates and teammates who have fallen by giving all that I have in each endeavor I pursue.This Memorial Day, I am remembering the great men I served with and their families. They are not forgotten. Be thou at peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
End zone Jones Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Hope all my fellow SM's have a good Memorial day!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtlantaFanatic Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free and I won't forget the men who died to give that right to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vafalconfan Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Amen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazoo Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 On Memorial Day, after thinking of all the veterans who sacrificed their lives, I also think of my father who fought in this epic, brutal, 5 week long, 70,000 marines strong battle at Iwo Jima. My father was on the lead attack carrier going Into to the shore under massive fire on the very first attack.The historic picture below shows the Marines planting the flag after they took this strategically critical island from the Japanese. This picture was taken on this day in 1945. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayOzOne Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I remember trekking with my Mom and Grandma to the cemetery as a boy to lay flowers on my cousin Butchie's grave. He was killed in Viet Nam and I never met him. My uncle Billy served three tours in Viet Nam and I remember how sad I felt every time he left home to return there. He survived and is remarkably close to the man that he was before his experience. But that's all that I can tell. His letters home to Mom detail some of what the horrors of war revealed to him and there's no way anyone can put that away deep enough to forget.On this and every Memorial Day, we all need to put things (like football off-season transactions) into perspective. If you're pinned down as bullets whiz by your head and watching your friends die in combat, it won't matter that the Falcons were Dimitroffed in the draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theProf Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 I always think of my father who fought in this epic, brutal, 5 week long, 70,000 marines strong battle at Iwo Jima. The historic picture below shows the Marines planting the flag after they took this strategically critical island from the Japanese. This picture was taken on this day in 1945.Glad your Dad made it through one of the most fiercest battles in the Pacific arena during World War II:"According to the official Navy Department Library website, "The 36-day (Iwo Jima) assault resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 dead."[33] Iwo Jima was also the only U.S. Marine battle where the American casualties exceeded the Japanese,[9] although Japanese combat deaths numbered three times as many American deaths. Of the 22,060 Japanese soldiers entrenched on the island, 18,844 died either from fighting or by ritual suicide."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayOzOne Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I encourage any of you with NetFlix to watch 'Ken Burns' The War' for perspective. If you can watch it and have a negative opinion of those who served, then you might as well be dead to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaBoy87 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 America is built on lies. Why do people ingnore that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayOzOne Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 America is built on lies. Why do people ingnore that?Because your ignorant *** just said that without being arrested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDFalcon Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 America is built on lies. Why do people ingnore that?Man whats wrong with you. I migrated to US about 20 years back. I am making a living here way better than I could imagine in my birth country. My kids go to private school and I live in a house that is 10 times bigger than what I grew up as a kid. I am working hard for this. But it certainly is possible in this country. I am US citizen now. I tell you, this is really a land of opportunities. If you have little responsibility, you can lead a good life. Why you want to say mean things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaBoy87 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Because your ignorant *** just said that without being arrested.I state facts. That's not being ignorant. You know it's true, that's why it offened you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazoo Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Glad your Dad made it through one of the most fiercest battles in the Pacific arena during World War II:"According to the official Navy Department Library website, "The 36-day (Iwo Jima) assault resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 dead."[33] Iwo Jima was also the only U.S. Marine battle where the American casualties exceeded the Japanese,[9] although Japanese combat deaths numbered three times as many American deaths. Of the 22,060 Japanese soldiers entrenched on the island, 18,844 died either from fighting or by ritual suicide."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima awesome post the Prof. My dad was on the lead attack carrier in the flotilla going into the shore at Iwo Jima. Talk about having to have massive cojones! He had kamikazes dive bombing his ship and manned one of the 20mm guns that shot them out of the air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazoo Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 + 1 monoxide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunken Minotaur Zebra Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 America is built on lies. Why do people ingnore that?America isn't built on lies - sure we've got Fox News and other ******** in the media and some idiots in goverment - but we sure as **** aren't built on lies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theProf Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 awesome post the Prof. My dad was on the lead attack carrier in the flotilla going into the shore at Iwo Jima. Talk about having to have massive cojones! He had kamikazes dive bombing his ship and manned one of the 20mm guns that shot them out of the air.I know that America has produced extremely brave soldiers in all of its wars, but those soldiers in World war II took braveness and courage to a whole new level, especially those first wave of soldiers to land upon enemy beaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaBoy87 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 No my view is looking at facts. People scream about patriot this patriot that when they don't even know who were here first. You can't even tell me. Its not just about the lies its about the cover up. History repeats when you don't know it and America doesn't know it's history Because it's politically correct to cover it up name="gazoo" post="9384698" timestamp="1432581676"]Your view is like looking at the Falcons 2008 draft, singling our Wilroy Fontentet as the example of what the entire draft was, and telling everyone the 2008 draft sucked and everyone else is wrong about it becuase Wilroy blah,blah, blah.We all know terrible, horrible mistakes were made and will continue to be going forward, we know cover up and lies have been told, this is not unique to the U.S., it is a historical fact of all nations. If you don't like it here, just go, we don't need you. With literally millions of people who want to move here, why don't you give your space up to someone who would appreciate it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaBoy87 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Lie number one Christopher Columbus founded America. Do you want more? America isn't built on lies - sure we've got Fox News and other ******** in the media and some idiots in goverment - but we sure as **** aren't built on lies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaBoy87 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 That wasn't irrelevant. Most of the hero stories are lies to make a certain race feel good better about their self. Its more like a hint that you couldn't catch. Don't get me wrong I love this land but I hate the fact that our ancestors took it from someone and has not addressed it to this day. This thread is about a former Army officer and current Atlanta Falcon telling the story of what Memorial Day means to him from his perspective. It takes a special, special person to come in and irrelevantly state that our country is built on lies in an attempt to steer the discussion away from something positive and turn it into a pissing contest. Do you have political views? Fantastic! I'm pretty sure 99.9 percent of this board does. With that said, do not let it take over a thread attempting to salute our fallen veterans on a National Holiday honoring them accordingly. If you want to cite WHY you think the country you're currently occupying is built on lies, feel free to do so in our "Anything But Football" subforum. Otherwise, drop it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaBoy87 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I was not responding to the topic I was responding to your quote. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.Either you missed my post or you're not getting the picture here. I'm issuing you a warning. The next infraction will be a suspension.This thread is not about the lies of Christopher Columbus, or the lies of the United States, or the lies of war. This thread is about a current Falcon and Army veteran speaking on the significance of Memorial Day and saluting those who have died in uniform. If you have ANYTHING else to say about the manner that wasn't covered in that last sentence, take it to ABF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaBoy87 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Memorial day is the best day of the year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaBoy87 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Suspend these (grabs crotch)You can't hurt my feelings. My grandpa served in Vietnam, my other grandpa served in the Korean War, my father served in Desert Storm, and my older brother is currently stationed in Kuwait. You won't hurt mine or their feelings by speaking on things you know little of. Unless your next post is about the significance of Memorial Day, I wouldn't respond. If you want to rehash your talking points about this country, go to ABF and type away. Otherwise, any other response in this thread that is even kinda irrelevant will lead to a suspension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moist Words Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 America is built on lies. Why do people ingnore that?This really couldn't wait until another day and another thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis York Morgan Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Did you just suspend a member for voicing his opinion about a topic in which the thread was based?Mono suspended them for being an idiot and taunting, as well as ignoring that they needed to stay on topic and warning them of a suspension - learn reading comprehension. Odd that a member with so few posts would come to their aid so quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moist Words Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Did you just suspend a member for voicing his opinion about a topic in which the thread was based?That just isn't true and it's quite obvious.Something else that is obvious is that you're here to argue and you can do that tomorrow or even today but just in another thread please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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