Our Memorial Day Remembrances was created to remember all of the brave soldiers whether they went to war or not and who were fighting a war within themselves. The soldiers remembered here were fighting a war with a mental illness, such as depression. While they may have survived a military action, they were unable to survive the battlefield in their minds. These gallant soldiers died by suicide and will never be forgotten.
Soldiers from all countries will be recognized here. We will replace the US flag around their picture with the flag of the country the soldier is from. We also welcome submissions of your countries traditions practiced on the day that you celebrate your soldiers that have passed away. The soldiers that we remember here will be listed in alphabetical order. Those who have lost a teen who was a member of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) are welcome to remember their loved one here. JROTC is a military funded program and is an extension of the military. So, please feel free to honor them here. If you are from another country and your loved one was a member of a program similar to JROTC, we welcome you to honor your loved here also. If you know a soldier that you would like remembered here, please send us their rank, name, branch of service, duty station, conflict/war they were involved in - if any, dates and where they lived before military duty, by clicking the email link below. We will be greatly honored to add them to this memorial. You may also send a photo and a link to your loved one's memorial website, if you would like. You need not be a member of our organization or any of our affiliates to send a submission. *If you are a U.S. veteran and you need help, go to the links at the bottom of this page. There are lisitings for your local VA and, even more helpful, The Vet Center listings for your area. Or, you can click the "Home" button for more information. Our library has a wealth of information. If you have a listing of helpful links for other countries, please send them so that we may include them.  Memorial Day History ~ United States Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. It is a day of remembrance for military members who have died in our nation's service.Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 05, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868. At this time, flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. New York was the first state to officially recognize the holiday in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South continued honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I ~ when the holiday changed from honoring only those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in all wars. It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May. Congress passed this date in the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3, Jefferson Davis' birthday, in Louisiana and Tennessee.
Captain Edward Alan Brudno
04 June 1940 - 03 June 1973
United States Air Force
68TH TFS, 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing, 13TH AF
Panel 05E Line 002
Duty Station: George Air Force Base
Theater: Vietnam ~ September, 1965
On 18 Oct. 1965 was shot down & became a POW in Hanoi.
Released from POW prison on 12 Feb. 1973.
Resident: Quincy, Massachusetts, United States
Dominic Campisi
May 19, 1974 ~ April 17, 2005
Crew Chief - C-130
166 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Delaware Air National Guard
Theater: Operation Iraqi/Enduring Freedom - Uzbekistan
Duty Station: New Castle, Delaware
Awarded at his funeral: Delaware National Guard Medal
Raised: Concord Township, Pennsylvania
Residence: Chester County, Atglen, Pennsylvania
~ Memorial Website ~
Specialist Richard T. Corcoran
Age: 34 ~ Died February 03, 2005
Seventh Special Forces Group
U.S. Army
Theater: Afghanistan
Duty Station: Fort Bragg
Resident: North Carolina, United States
Corporal Ken Dennis
Age 22 ~ Died: March 21, 2004
Theater: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia,
Djibouti, and Operation Iraqi Freedom
U.S. Marine Corps
Resident: Washington, United States
Technical Sergeant David G. Guindon
April 21, 1956 ~ Aug. 18, 2004
Air National Guard
157th Air Refueling Wing
Attached to 2632nd Air Expeditionary Force Truck Company
Theater: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Duty Station: Pease Air National Guard Base
Resident: Merrimack, New Hampshire, United States
Specialist Randy Reed-Hecox
January 07, 1969 ~ July 23, 1999
U.S. Army 1989 ~ 1993
Theater: Operation Desert Storm
Duty Station: Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
Resident: Missouri, United States
~ Memorial Site ~
Staff Sergeant Steven M. Logan
December 30, 1978 ~ Febuary 28, 2005
U.S. Marine Corps 1998 ~ 2002
Resident: Tennesse, United States
~ Memorial Site ~
Lance Corporal Jeffrey Lucey
Age 23 ~ Died June 22, 2004
U.S. Marine Corps Reserves 1999 ~ 2004
Theater: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Resident: Belchertown, Massachusetts, United States
Private Stephen Needler
November 16, 1983 ~ March 01, 2004
U.S. Army
Resident: New York, United States
SP4 Michael Lee Nevils
July 24, 1977 ~ May 23, 2001
US Army
Theater: Persian Gulf
Duty Station: Fort Bliss, Texas
Resident: Pennsylvania, United States
SPC Joshua Lee Omvig
November 18, 1983 ~ December 22, 2005
US Army Reserve 339th MP Company
Theater: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Resident: Iowa, United States
~ Memorial Site ~
E. T. Falkner Sandys
Died: September 06, 1916
Lieutenant Colonel ~ British Army
Theater: WW I
Resident: London, England, United Kingdom
Private First Class Corey Small
Age 20 Died July 03, 2003
US Army
502nd Military Intelligence Company
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Theater: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Duty Station: Fort Polk
Resident: East Berlin, Pennsylvania, United States
Galen John Truesdell
September 26, 1977 ~ February 10, 2005
U.S. Air Force
Resident: Massachusetts, United States
Michael Wilson
October 12, 1972 ~ February 09, 1998
U.S.Navy
New Jersey, United States
The Origin of Taps "TAPS" is the most beautiful bugle call. Played slowly and softly, it has a smooth, tender, and touching character. It rolls down the curtains on the day or upon life whenever it is played or sung. The origin of the bugle call TAPS in its present form is generally attributed to Major General Daniel Butterfield who commanded a brigade in the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsular Campaign of 1862. After a particularly hard fighting day as the weary troops settled down for the night along the James River near Richmond Virginia, the bugler sounded "Extinguish Lights" or what is more commonly called "Lights Out". On this night Butterfield felt that this bugle call was not as smooth, melodious, and musical as it should be. He felt that the day's final call should bring comfort and peace to tired troubled men. With the help of his bugler, Oliver W. Norton, Butterfield composed the music to what we know today as TAPS. Later in the Peninsular Campaign a funeral was being held during a lull in the fighting. The bugler was ordered to play TAPS in place of the three volleys usually used to render the final honors to a deceased comrade. This was done because it was feared that rifle fire might cause the enemy to renew their attack. The playing of TAPS was eventually written into Army regulations as a part of the honors to be paid at a military funeral. While their are no official words to the bugle call itself, the commonly used lyrics are derived from the following verses: Fading light dims the sight, And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright. From afar drawing nigh -- Falls the night. Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Then good night, peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright; God is near, do not fear -- Friend, good night. AUTHOR: Glen Carter [Owl Patrol, Woodbadge 82-49-30] 
They Don't Wear Purple Hearts In Heaven I lost my brother to a foreign land;
I was too young to even understand
There was a knock at the front door,
then Momma wasn't smiling anymore. The man at the door was a Marine;
the first I've ever seen.
Momma told me to go out and play,
then the preacher came and they started to pray. Tears ran down Momma's eyes, and
I heard her say, "Why, Lord, Why"?
Father stood there seemingly mindless, all he said was,
"We've lost another of America's finest." The Marine handed Momma a small velvet case,
inside was a Purple Ribbon, attached to a gold heart with Washington's face.
I asked Momma if it were mine,
but she said, "It's your brother's, Sunshine." "Momma can we send it to Kevin?"
She answered, "They don't wear Purple Hearts in Heaven." ~ Author Unknown ~ 
Empty Visit A cold wind blows and scuttles leaves
about the brittle grass
an old man huddles in his coat
a shiver comes to pass
a woman takes his hand in hers
and looks into his face
together they recall the things that brought them to this place A summer day, they said goodbye
to a young man they both knew
their tears were filled with fear and pride
but he knew what he must do
He held them both and smiled at them
but would not say goodbye
“I’ll see you soon” was all he said as a tear fell from his eye So now they sit together and recall him as a boy
delighted and delightful, he was their only joy
Now all grown up a hero, he finally has come home
back to fields and forests
which in his boyhood he would roam The couple turn their gazes up as snow falls from the sky
knowing that the son they love will always be nearby
They turn to leave as icy winds blow the freezing rain
that coats the polished marble stone
that bears their soldier’s name ©Copyright January 2004 by Judith L. Floyd (Sarah Waters) 
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