Today ("Observed")

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Skip Gundlach

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May 27, 2024, 7:28:51 AM5/27/24
to Penfield High School Class of 1963
Some of you follow my meandering on Facebook...

I did the Memorial Day parade bit (my granddaughter's dance studio had a float) this morning; the small town was entirely deserted when we arrived, save a large number of chairs already set along the parade route, and a handful of early arrivals on the town's crossroads (where the parade would make the turn).

I noticed, just around the corner from the location on the parade route where we set up, that the USPS - about the size and position of the Penfield NY (small town I grew up in) one - had a fouled flag on a short pole, with a POW smaller flag also fouled, below.

I took it upon myself to strike the colors, remediate the fouls (mostly a product of the tattered leech of the flag's stripes winding around the hoist and luff), and rehang by first raising all the way and then lowering halfway in the clear space over the portico, firmly (took a very firm haul-down on the line) reset on the cleat, standing back and saluting.

Of the various watchers there was not a single comment before, during, or after my presumptuousness.

Sigh.

But you got candy thrown at you from the parade...

(If you follow my Facebook commentary, in the last few days you've seen why all of the above is disturbing to me on this May 30th...)

L8R

Skip

--
I expect to pass this way but once; 

any good therefore that I can do, 
or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, 
let me do it now.

Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
 
- Etienne Griellet  

Sandra Kleiner

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May 27, 2024, 8:15:19 AM5/27/24
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Memories of our former PHS ‘63 classmates Rex Dewispalear and Robert Funk
🇺🇸♥️🇺🇸♥️🇺🇸♥️

Sandra D Kleiner
6 Grandview Terrace
Adams MA 01220
Mobile: 413-244-2481

sent from my iPhone



On May 27, 2024, at 7:28 AM, Skip Gundlach <skipgu...@gmail.com> wrote:


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Steve Schroeder

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May 27, 2024, 11:10:13 AM5/27/24
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Thank u Skip for showing respect for our red, white and blue! 
Thanks Sandy for reminding us of our fallen classmates! 
Take care.
Steve Schroeder 

Sent from my iPad

On May 27, 2024, at 7:28 AM, Skip Gundlach <skipgu...@gmail.com> wrote:


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Don Fleischman

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May 27, 2024, 11:53:51 AM5/27/24
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Well Skip, as a life long friend and a veteran, you have my thanks and heart felt appreciation.   

Don Fleischman  🇺🇸
972-313-0000
Have a great day.

On May 27, 2024, at 06:28, Skip Gundlach <skipgu...@gmail.com> wrote:


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Skip Gundlach

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May 27, 2024, 12:26:16 PM5/27/24
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Further to my earlier, I'm sure you know Memorial Day (originally Decoration Day, and May 30th, rather than the rarely-congruent 3-day weekend's Monday) was established to honor those fallen in the service of the US military.
One of my relatives had the dubious honor and privilege to be the first Army Nurse to be killed in WWI. Amabel Scharff Roberts looked like this before serving overseas:

image.png

In a couple of days, I'm moving to Toccoa GA, where I intend flying a similarly sized flag to that which used to grace my home at 25 West Whitney Road (across from Penfield Heights), as seen on a similar Memorial Day:

image.png
This one, however, will have 50 stars and be made from something more durable than the wool from which the above was sewn!

L8R

Skip

--

The years thunder by. 
The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. 
Before we know it, the tomb is sealed.

- Sterling Hayden

Chuck Tulloh

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May 27, 2024, 12:36:11 PM5/27/24
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And as you probably know: 
Camp Toccoa was developed nearby as a World War II paratrooper training base. It was the first training base for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the Army's 101st Airborne Division which saw extensive action in WWII at Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and ultimately took The Eagle's Nest, Hitler's mountain retreat. Its Easy Company was subject of the non-fiction book and an HBO miniseries adaptation of the same name: Band of Brothers.


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