The Stovebolt Site Forums The Back Office News and Announcements Memorial Day 2025

Once again, Stovebolters, let's take a moment this Memorial Day to pause, reflect and honor those who have given their lives in the line of duty to safeguard and preserve all that we are today as the greatest Nation ever.

Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a Federal holidays in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer in the US. It is a day for visiting cemeteries and memorials to mourn the military personnel who died in the line of duty.


As I usually do on this most solemn of holidays, I think of several friends who gave their lives for all of us...

Especially, my gear head buddy, Jason Skubi. Jason and I could be found a lot of Saturday mornings in Bancroft Hall's 7th Wing parking area working on our cars our first class year at the U.S. Naval Academy. Jason had a Mazda RX-7 and I had my Chevelle convertible. Jason went on to fly CH-46 helicopters. He died one night in the North Atlantic during an underway replenishment when his transmission failed. His two little girls have probably made him a grandpa by now. He was a good man and I think of him often when working on my '49.

My Plebe Year crew team buddy, Mark Hamilton, died one night over the Pacific Ocean when his P-3 collided with another P-3. Mark was one of the most genuinely nicest people I ever knew.

My classmate Ron Vauk, who I shared many classes with, died at his post in the Navy's Command Center in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. I don't remember Ron very well other than he was a very nice guy who I considered a friend.

I tell you about them because they gave their last full measure of devotion for *our* freedom and I want to remember them. To put faces on the sacrifices made.

If you have a personal friend (not a distant relative or someone you've heard about but didn't know personally) who paid that price (in active service in the military or as a first responder) for the freedoms we enjoy today, please share -- tell us about them.

To all of them ...

Thank you.

Remembering my great uncle, Jack Black, whom I never got to meet. He died on the beach at Okinawa, about a year before I was born. Almost 30 years later, I was stationed there with the USAF when we returned control of the island to Japan. Things got a bit frisky then!
Jerry

Gentle reminder --- Remember people you served with and knew *personally* who sacrificed their lives ...

My best friend senior year in high school, Steven F Freeman. Died as a door gunner in a Huey 11/29/1967. The character of Toad in the movie American Grafitti could have been based on Steve, accept he never had a hot date with Candy Clark. Steve even looked like Toad.

I don't have a lot of really close friends, but I think Steve would still be one.

Our Sister-in-law sent this to us today:

Monday will be the most expensive holiday on the calendar. Every hot dog, every burger, every spin around the lake, or drink with friends and family ... is a debt ... purchased by others. This is not about all who have served ... that day comes in the fall. This one is in honor of those who paid in life and blood -- whose Moms never saw them again; whose Dads wept in private; whose wives raised kids alone; and whose kids only remembered them from pictures. This is a day to remember that others paid for every free breath you ever take. Freedom!

Enjoying the peace, quite, and freedom of this day. A huge debt of gratitude to those who gave us this and sadly did not make it back home to enjoy with us.