MAY 27, 2024 – Many Americans celebrate Memorial Day with cookouts among family and friends to usher in the beginning of summer, but for some families it is a solemn day to remember a loved one who paid the ultimate price for freedom. On the Friday before Memorial Day, the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command hosted a special Gold Star Service Flag raising ceremony … [Read more...]
Archives for 2024
A Time to Remember and Reflect
MAY 27, 2024 — When I was a child, Memorial Day was always the sign that summer was just around the corner. Growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the holiday weekend marked the opening of community pools, the end of the Little League baseball season and the first chimes of the ice cream truck making its rounds. I remember furiously pedaling my bike alongside my friends toward … [Read more...]
Memorial Day is a Day Filled With Mixed Emotions
MAY 25, 2024 — The idea of Memorial Day — or “Decoration Day,” as it was initially called — began after the Civil War to honor Americans from both the North and South who lost their lives in this terrible struggle. Various dates in the months of April and May were used and multiple cities claimed to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, but it is generally accepted that the first … [Read more...]
National Guard Staff Marks Memorial Day
MAY 24, 2024 - The New York National Guard’s headquarters staff marked Memorial Day with a short ceremony May 23. Brig. Gen. Isabel Smith, the director of joint staff, spoke briefly about the importance of Memorial Day. “We pay honor and tribute to properly thank these heroes, who have done so much to keep this country, our prosperity, and our freedoms intact,” Smith … [Read more...]
U.S. Conducts Exercise With Saudi, Emirati Partners
MAY 24, 2024 - U.S. and partner forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are set to conclude this year's large-scale exercise showcasing the three countries' combined logistics capabilities. The U.S. Marine Corps-led Native Fury 24 — an exercise that's in its ninth iteration this year — put combined, joint interoperability to the test through a series of complex … [Read more...]