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Below is the speech that USN Captain (Ret.) Peter Wikul gave on Memorial Day 2015 at Pachaug Cemetery, and I think it cuts to the heart of the matter. Memorial Day Speech 2015 Pachaug Cemetery “Say a prayer, shed a tear, toast our fallen heroes.” Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. It is a solemn day when we Americans commemorate those who were killed on the field of battle, on the sea, or in the air. It is also a day of remembrance for those who died in uniform protecting our great nation in peacetime between wars. Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day. This started within a few years after the American Civil War, where Americans fought Americans for over four years. American veterans from the US Army and the Confederacy began formally decorating the graves of the war dead with flowers to honor their sacrifice and memory. Sometime in 1882, people began calling Decoration Day, Memorial Day. Then in 1971, Congress enacted the National Holiday Act of 1971, formally establishing Memorial Day as a national holiday of remembrance. Memorial Day is not a day intended to be a happy day of celebration. I often hear people greeting each other and veterans on this day with “Happy Memorial Day.” Veterans are uncomfortable with this. Maybe the best thing to say is: “Good to see you this Memorial Day.” Memorial Day is not Veterans Day. Many people will tell a veteran or an active duty service person, “Thank you for your service.” We veterans and the active duty are uncomfortable with this. We know it is well-intentioned, but get kind of uneasy. Why you ask? Because we know those buried beneath us have made the ultimate sacrifice and we have not. It “is” their day, not ours. Best just to say, “Good Morning, good to see you this Memorial Day.” “Good to see you this Memorial Day”, you say. Yes, it “is” good to see you this Memorial Day because we are “together”, we Americans, we veterans, we active duty, and we citizens, yes we are all together remembering and honoring the memory those who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their life for us in the defense of our great nation, in the defense of our Declaration of Independence, in defense of our Constitution, of our Bill of Rights, our land, and our way of life. So, today, we say a prayer, shed a tear, and toast our fallen heroes. Memorial Day is really not the day to go shopping to buy things, we can do that another day. Memorial day is not just another three-day holiday, we have lots of them on our calendar. Memorial day is not just the beginning of summer for family picnics and barbecues. Memorial is a solemn day. It is a day to: “Say a prayer, shed a tear, and toast our fallen heroes.” It’s OK to have a family barbecue today, the fallen would want us to….just taken a moment to: “Say a prayer, shed a tear, and toast our fallen heroes.” Reflect and teach your children that freedom is not free. It has a price. That price is blood. It is national treasure. For how do we console or thank a Gold Star Mother for the life of her son or daughter. We cannot. We can only: “Say a prayer, shed a tear, and toast a fallen hero.” I’ll conclude with a short story. It’s about a fallen Navy SEAL, Michael Monsoor. On September 29, 2006 Michael and other SEALs were fighting from a rooftop in Ramadi, Iraq, when an insurgent threw a grenade at them. Now Michael had already many times proven his bravery and courage by being awarded a Bronze Star Medal with V for Valor and a Silver Star Medal. What did Michael do? He fell on the grenade and absorbed the explosion saving the life of his teammates. He lived another 30 minutes before he died. Michael made the ultimate sacrifice and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Michael’s action was above and beyond the call of duty. A few years later, after a Navy SEAL Foundation dinner, there was an after-party. Michael’s Gold Star Mother, Sally Ann, ordered a round of tequilla for all the SEALs there and there were many. We toasted our fallen comrade and we all hugged and kissed Michael’s Mom. I carry a coin commemorating his service. So today at my barbecue, for Michael, and all my fallen comrades, those I never knew, I will simply: “Say a prayer, shed a tear, and toast my fallen heroes.” Thank you all for honoring our fallen hero’s today. May God bless you, may God bless our great nation, and it is “Good to see you this Memorial Day.”

#48 KEYSTONE DONATES CRICKET RIFLES TO CNJFO FOR USE IN THEIR YOUTH PROGRAM! KEYSTONE ARMS DONATES .22 CAL. RIFLES TO CNJFO! YOUTH SHOOTING PROGRAM OFF TO A GREAT START! by Black Wire Media May 17, 2019 www.cnjfo.com/join-us Eric Saperstein, Youth Committee Chair of the Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners, is proud to announce Keystone Sporting Arms, LLC, of Milton, PA has just promised to donate (6) of their famous .22 LR caliber youth model Cricket single-shot rifles to the Coalition. Saperstein, a frequent visitor to NRAAM and photographer for the youth shooting sports, as well as a target shooter, gun collector and hunter, is our Youth Shoot Committee Chair. He and approx. two dozen volunteer instructors on his committee will be conducting our first-ever .22 Youth Shoot on June 23rd at Union Hill Gun Club under the direction of CNJFO life member & sponsor Rocco LaRocca, President of R.O.C. Training. Keystone Sporting Arms is the country's largest supplier of youth model rifles. The company is equipped with modern, state of the art equipment, and a capability to increase production to meet the growing demand for firearms. The goal of KSA is to instill gun safety in the minds of youth shooters and encourage them to gain the knowledge and respect that hunting and shooting activities require and deserve. We're very proud to partner with such a benevolent sponsor and look forward to the fantastic opportunities that lay ahead educating youth about the 2nd Amendment, and firearms safety & proper usage in particular! NJ native CJ Roberts, son of Dan Roberts & brother of competition shooter Shyanne Roberts, is a Keystone model and is featured in this Oleg Volk ad image now used nationally by Keystone for their company banner. If you desire to help us in this endeavor, we'd be glad to accept donations to offset future youth Shoots OR arrange to pick-up donated .22 LR ammo. CNJFO is a 501(c)3 non-profit and all donations are fully tax deductible (see your financial adviser).

"Flags that were placed by Boy Scouts; in a similar Civics lesson." Correct. I took this on assignment back in the early 2000s.

Several years ago, we were out for a drive to a U-pick farm in Chesterfield on Memorial Day weekend. We passed by the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery. I abruptly turned around and we drove thru. What a sight and what a civics lesson for my 2 young boys. Thousands and thousands of US flags on thousands and thousands of grave markers. I highly recommend this destination any day of the year, but especially on Memorial Day weekend.

That black dude from the Predator movie didn’t age well.

Once you sip the kool aid the hater aid becomes invisible

#47 THOUGHTS FROM NAPPEN & COLANDRO ON WHETHER THE SUPREMES WILL GRANT CERT ON ROGERS CARRY CASE! CNJFO's ROGERS AMICUS BRIEF HELPS SCOTUS GRANT CERT? ON MAY 23RD WE LEARN FATE OF OUR PLEA FOR RELIEF! by Black Wire Media Wednesday May 15, 2019 www.cnjfo.com/join-us The Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners joins NRA Board of Director Anthony Colandro and famed firearms attorney Evan Nappen in praying for relief from NJ's unconstitutional firearms laws. We're looking forward to next weeks decision by SCOTUS to GRANT CERT (accept the case) for the Rogers carry case! We have worked tirelessly for NJ gun owners rights since our inception just four short years ago, and have contributed greatly to the historical trek that's so close to unfolding before our eyes. None of this would be possible without the help, financial support and resolve of our members, sponsors, friends and supporters, all of whom are forever in our hearts. We thank you ALL! A little history on how we got to where we are: The Rogers Amicus Brief CNJFO helped fund came to fruition due to Jay Factor's extraordinary ability to memorize the chronology of the first laws that governed NJ, and his data collection via rather expensive hand-written journals that pre-date the very formation of this country! He, together with their attorney (and now ours), David Jensen, and both Cheeseman and Jillard, asked us to help finance the brief. We did so with their permission and at their direction using SOME of the funds collected during the Matching Funds campaign the Coalition ran and supported for the Cheeseman-Jillard carry cases in NJ. Cheeseman, Jillard and Factor all are personally invested in this brief and are named as fellow petitioners. Mark Cheeseman and John Jillard were both denied carry permits by a NJ Superior Court Judge. Then denied again. Both cases are now stagnated at the appeal stage; NJ Supreme Court seems to be waiting for SCOTUS to grant cert on Rogers? As we prepare to walk the path to righteousness TOGETHER, please consider renewing your membership or JOINING for the first time! You don't even have to be a NJ resident in order to receive the federal tax deduction for joining or donating to us since we're a 501(c)3 non-profit! TO JOIN: www.cnjfo.com/join-us . Thanks in advance and stay tuned for upcoming NEWS about the US Supreme Court decision to hear Rogers!

#46 STATEN ISLAND PARAMEDIC A 2A FIGHTER TO BE RECKONED WITH! RIDING SHOTGUN WITH CHARLIE IN NYC! RIDING SHOTGUN WITH CHARLIE TAKES LAUREN HARTNETT FOR A TOUR OF THE BIG APPLE; NYSR&P CASE GOES TO SCOTUS! by Black Wire Media Tuesday May 14, 2019 www.cnjfo.com/join-us Lauren Hartnett rides shotgun with Charlie Cook of "Riding Shotgun With Charlie". They discuss the outrageous NYC ban on bringing your hand guns to your own upstate property or business, and a ton of other interesting topics. This Staten Island gun owner splashed onto the national scene a while ago & she's absolutely ON FIRE! How good? Like we'd like to ask her to come to Jersey to speak at an event GOOD! We couldn't stop watching! See for yourselves how well this interview genre works on this, the 48th Riding Shotgun With Charlie! If all goes as planned, in a week or two MY segment of "Riding Shotgun With Charlie", filmed immediately after the above ride with Lauren Hartnett, will hit "Air"............#49! YES, I BROUGHT THE TEN GAUGE SXS TO THE INTERVIEW

You might want to rethink that position. Sure, you’ve got your permit, but now you cannot carry within 10 miles of any school, hospital or government building. Don’t think NJ lawmakers won’t do it.

The X5 is awesome. Love mine, but annoyed this model came out... time to save some more nickles

President Ronald Reagan gave a moving speech on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in 1986. It's not a day for Sales or Shopping it's a day to Remember, I plan to do exactly what he said in his last sentence Spending that day with Family and Friends. We will be closed on Monday 27th. "Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It’s a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It’s a day to be with the family and remember. I was thinking this morning that across the country children and their parents will be going to the town parade and the young ones will sit on the sidewalks and wave their flags as the band goes by. Later, maybe, they’ll have a cookout or a day at the beach. And that’s good, because today is a day to be with the family and to remember." President Reagan - 1986 Memorial Day Speech at Arlington National Cemetery

Nope, you're correct. They're just trying to make it a big retail spending day. As a side note, during the parade on Monday, none of the fire trucks or police cars are allowed to blast their sirens, as they consider it a solemn day, and NOT a day of celebration.

Of course it makes sense (and dollars) to register the car in their name and insure it in their name. This gives a "legal" separation between the parents and the kid. If they are in a accident, will the lawyer try to drag the parents in? Most definitely, because that's where the money is. But that will be quickly slapped down... But, which is easier to defend by the parents lawyer, where the kid is legally separated from the parents or on their parents policy driving the parent's car. It's a no brainer. Yes, a umbrella policy is a must have for MANY reasons, not just a young driver. But, that isn't surefire either, depending on the lawsuit, a few million in a umbrella policy can vaporize really quickly. That's why it's better to separate the liability with the young driver as best as possible.. That is, unless you don't mind losing all your guns (and the rest of your personal belongings and house) when being sued....

On the original topic, if you really want to insulate yourself from her driving she needs her own car (in her name alone), her own insurance policy and maybe even her own address - her own address because your insurance policy may require you to list every licensed driver in the house. Some do, some don't. Realistically it may not be practical. For you, as other said, get an umbrella policy and be sure all your vehicles are listed on it. Get a tracking app and use it - show her you're watching and there are consequences to her actions.

This picture was sent to me years ago, I share it with my kids and others as a reminder of what the day is. It is a day of happiness, for our freedom, but it started with a sacrifice.

There are things you can do from a legal standpoint other then educating here A) put the car ownership and registration in her name B) put her on her own insurance policy That alone creates a wall of legal protection A dash cam will only protect the person who was in the "right", but still a good investment if you think she is a responsible driver. AFAIK, it would take an incredible amount of work to connect even a 17 year old to their parents with the above suggestions. There is no legal liability on the parents at that point, and I haven't seen anything that suggests otherwise. You would have to show some kind of parent negligence... and i cant imagine that having a low bar to reach. It would make little sense for any lawyer to argue someone who does not own the car, or is part of the liability coverage would have liability over it. At 17 years old, a "kid" can purchase a vehicle in NJ with out their parents consents, they can register it, and get it insured... all on their won.

People think it's National BBQ Day, but it's a day of remembrance. Their sacrifices allow our freedoms to continue, which is a reason to be happy. I could go either way.

My late father also served in the Mighty Eighth as a radio operator / gunner. Shot down on his third mission in Jan 1944, he and 3 others from his crew evaded capture until they were returned to England in August. Four others of his crew spent the balance of the war in a POW camp. One made it over the Pyrenees into Spain and was back in England in a matter of weeks. The pilot went down with the plane, the Hunyak, allowing his crew to safely bail out of the crippled Flying Fortress, and my late older sister was named after him as a tribute to his courage and supreme sacrifice. The short version of his story here.

Memorial day is this weekend and I figured since many of us here served in the armed forces that you would share some of your memories. Here are some of mine, circa 1998-2001.

Thank you for your service.

Flags that were placed by Boy Scouts; in a similar Civics lesson.

It was $30 for an hour (I was a walk on), but they allow time for setup and cleanup, so pretty much an hour from first shot to last shot. I was alone and I only had one rifle, so that was plenty of time for me. If you're a member there are different rates.

You guys are brutal to your kids -- do you actually realize how much car insurance is for a male driver under 26 years old with a perfect record? My son bought himself a new car -- nissan versa note -- about $17,000 -- we went to check on insurance for him alone at 20 years old 1st off -- not all insurance companies will even insure a young driver -- his insurance, when we actually found an insurance company who would cover him, was $2500 every 6 months Needless to say we bought the car together -- he paid and makes the payments but we are co-owners -- insurance for that same car on my insurance is $600 every 6 months I don't know what you guys expect from your kids but things are not the same as they where when we where kids -- this insurance thing is unreasonable for them alone Just remember that dash cam works both ways... kids aren't saints and 26 in a 25 mph is speeding

Agreed 100% My kid got my hand me down on his 17th bday at Thanksgiving. Which is a hand me down from my wife. A 2010 Scion Xb with 215k on it. It is a very reliable, efficient car. He is on our insurance until he is 18. Then he gets to own the car and his own insurance policy. Right now, he pays $100 month for his car insurance. He also pays for his own gas. As for CYA, we should probably have a +/- $2mil umbrella policy as long as he is on our auto policy, but I have neglected it.

No texting while driving. VERY IMPORTANT.

And, presumably, errant coffee cups and water bottles in a few scenes.