Memorial Day: Our Sacred Honor
Since our nation’s beginning, well over one million American servicemen and women have been killed in action during U.S. wars. It is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of that fact. But we are grateful for each hero who selflessly died so that others could live in peace and freedom. We are also grateful for their families who have carried the sorrow of such deep loss. Memorial Day weekend is a sacred time to honor the fallen and to remember the sacrifice of Gold Star families.
Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. It began in 1868 when the Grand Army of the Republic created the day to decorate the graves of those who were killed in action during the Civil War. Major General John A. Logan declared May 30, 1868 as the first Decoration Day and he declared, “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance…Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”
During Decoration Day of 1868 there were large official ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery in front of what was once General Robert E. Lee’s mansion. General and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant presided over the ceremonies and people placed flowers at the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers. Over 5,000 people attended and they spent time in prayer and sang hymns to remember and honor those killed in service. Small American flags were also reverently placed at each grave just like we do to this day.
As time progressed, the Army and Navy developed official policies for proper observance at their cemeteries. But it was not until after World War I that the day of remembrance was expanded to include those killed in all American wars and not just the Civil War. By 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be observed annually on the last Monday of May.
As a way to help you observe Memorial Day, please read about the below heroes killed in action. Watch the Memorial Day tribute video and tune in to the presentation by David Barton who shares more about the history of Memorial Day.
This Memorial Day weekend take time to remember the sacred meaning behind this national holiday. Make sure to share with the kids in your life about why Memorial Day matters. If you don’t share the truth with them, how will they know? Let’s honor the fallen and be patriotic Americans that would make them proud.
God bless you always,Carrie Stoelting and Stacie Stoelting HudzinskiSisters and founders of Unite the USA
Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. It began in 1868 when the Grand Army of the Republic created the day to decorate the graves of those who were killed in action during the Civil War. Major General John A. Logan declared May 30, 1868 as the first Decoration Day and he declared, “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance…Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”
During Decoration Day of 1868 there were large official ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery in front of what was once General Robert E. Lee’s mansion. General and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant presided over the ceremonies and people placed flowers at the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers. Over 5,000 people attended and they spent time in prayer and sang hymns to remember and honor those killed in service. Small American flags were also reverently placed at each grave just like we do to this day.
As time progressed, the Army and Navy developed official policies for proper observance at their cemeteries. But it was not until after World War I that the day of remembrance was expanded to include those killed in all American wars and not just the Civil War. By 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be observed annually on the last Monday of May.
As a way to help you observe Memorial Day, please read about the below heroes killed in action. Watch the Memorial Day tribute video and tune in to the presentation by David Barton who shares more about the history of Memorial Day.
This Memorial Day weekend take time to remember the sacred meaning behind this national holiday. Make sure to share with the kids in your life about why Memorial Day matters. If you don’t share the truth with them, how will they know? Let’s honor the fallen and be patriotic Americans that would make them proud.
God bless you always,Carrie Stoelting and Stacie Stoelting HudzinskiSisters and founders of Unite the USA
Unite the USA's
Featured Veteran of the Month: Orville Bloch
WWII Medal of Honor Recipient Orville Bloch
The History of Memorial Day
Learn the history of Memorial Day by historian David Barton. In this presentation you will discover how Memorial Day was first established and why it is important present day.
Featured Quote
Featured Bible Verse
Memorial Tribute featuring President Reagan
Watch this stirring Memorial Day tribute honoring our fallen heroes. The words spoken by President Reagan in this tribute still ring true today. The images of our heroes shown throughout the video should remind us of the bravery and sacrifice of the many who died in the name of freedom. May we remember and honor them always.
Stories of Our Fallen Heroes
Brooks Stith (1922-1944) enlisted in the U.S. Army in Norfolk Virginia on June, 30, 1942 to serve in WWII. He was assigned to the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion which, along with the 318th, 319th, and 321st, was an all Black Balloon Battalion of more than 30 such battalions formed in 1942 and trained at Camp Tyson, TN.
Corporal Stith was killed in action at Omaha Beach. He is buried at Plot I Row 3 Grave 35, Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France
A commendation by Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower cited the unit for conducting "its mission with courage and determination, and proved an important element of the air defense team".
Corporal Stith was killed in action at Omaha Beach. He is buried at Plot I Row 3 Grave 35, Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France
A commendation by Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower cited the unit for conducting "its mission with courage and determination, and proved an important element of the air defense team".
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Charles McMahon (May 10,1953 – April 29,1975) and Darwin Lee Judge (February 16, 1956 – April 29, 1975) were the last two United States servicemen killed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The two men, both U.S. Marines, were killed in a rocket attack one day before the Fall of Saigon.
Spc. Faith R. Hinkley, 23, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died on August 7, 2010 in Baghdad of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit.
Hinkley was assigned to 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.
Hinkley enlisted Aug. 27, 2007, and reported to Fort Jackson, S.C., for basic training and to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., for advanced training in her specialty, human intelligence collector.
Faith stepped up when her nation needed her,” said Brig. Gen. Jim Pasquarette. “Faith Hinkley was a cut above.”
She was a specialist at the time of her death but was promoted posthumously to sergeant for her service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
She was a native of Monte Vista, in south-central Colorado, and attended school in Colorado Springs after graduating from high school in 2006.
Hinkley was assigned to 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.
Hinkley enlisted Aug. 27, 2007, and reported to Fort Jackson, S.C., for basic training and to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., for advanced training in her specialty, human intelligence collector.
Faith stepped up when her nation needed her,” said Brig. Gen. Jim Pasquarette. “Faith Hinkley was a cut above.”
She was a specialist at the time of her death but was promoted posthumously to sergeant for her service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
She was a native of Monte Vista, in south-central Colorado, and attended school in Colorado Springs after graduating from high school in 2006.
Honoring the Honorable
John Valentine Kosloski, Jr. (1891-1918) entered the service in Elmira, New York on November 23, 1917 as a Private in the U.S. Army and he served in WWI.
On Jan. 2, 1918, he was promoted to Bugler, a communications position relied on to command troop movement. He embarked overseas on April 6, 1918 and on September 2, 1918 he was promoted to Corporal. Engaged in action at the Marne; Verdun; Belleau Wood; Meuse-Argonne. He was killed in action on October 1, 1918 in the Argonne Forest.
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Roy E. Barrow (1911-1950) was killed in the Korean War. He was officially accounted for and identified in Sept. 2023, after being reported missing in action on Dec. 12, 1950.
Barrow was a veteran of World War II, but continued to serve in the military. He was called to serve in the Korean War. Barrow joined King Company and was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
On November 27, 1950, Chinese troops attacked the U.S. X Corps to begin the Battle of the Chasin Reservoir. Sometime between the 6th and the 12th of December, MSgt. Barrow disappeared into the frozen battleground. During the battle, many of the soldiers killed were temporarily buried on the battlefield. By 1955, 848 sets of remains were deemed unidentifiable and were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii and MSgt. Barrow was among them.
Decades later his remains were recently identified. MSgt. Barrow was returned to home of Valdosta, Georgia and buried on Jan. 27, 2024.
Barrow was a veteran of World War II, but continued to serve in the military. He was called to serve in the Korean War. Barrow joined King Company and was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
On November 27, 1950, Chinese troops attacked the U.S. X Corps to begin the Battle of the Chasin Reservoir. Sometime between the 6th and the 12th of December, MSgt. Barrow disappeared into the frozen battleground. During the battle, many of the soldiers killed were temporarily buried on the battlefield. By 1955, 848 sets of remains were deemed unidentifiable and were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii and MSgt. Barrow was among them.
Decades later his remains were recently identified. MSgt. Barrow was returned to home of Valdosta, Georgia and buried on Jan. 27, 2024.
SPC Michael David Daniels (1970-1991) had dreamed of flying helicopters said his wife, Misty. Spec. Daniels, a 1988 graduate of Leavenworth (Kansas) High School, was working as an Army co-pilot Feb. 20 when his OH-58 helicopter crashed during a reconnaissance mission in Saudi Arabia. Daniels, 20, was married in April 1990, and he and his wife were forced to cut short a belated honeymoon last August when his unit was shipped out. He was only 20 years old when killed in Operation Desert Storm.
Michael's widow Misty shared, "In the blink of an eye, my world changed forever - I am so thankful to have known you, to have shared your laughter, and to have loved you for a small part of your 20 years on this earth."
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We give tribute to our military, past and present and remember the fallen:The American Revolution 1775-1783The Indian Wars1775-1890Shay's Rebellion1786-1787The Whiskey Rebellion 1794Quasi-War With France 1798-1800Fries's Rebellion1799The Barbary Wars1800-1815The War of 18121812-1815Mexican-American War 1846-1848U.S. Slave Rebellions 1800-1865"Bleeding Kansas"1855-1860Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry - 1859United States Civil War 1861-1865U.S. Intervention in Hawaiian Revolution -1893The Spanish-American War - 1898U.S. Intervention in Samoan Civil War1898-1899U.S.-Philippine War1899-1902Boxer Rebellion - 1900The Moro Wars1901-1913U.S. Intervention in Panamanian Revolution 1903The Banana Wars1909-1933U.S. Occupation of Vera Cruz - 1914Pershing's Raid Into Mexico - 1916-1917World War I - 1914-1918Allied Intervention in Russian Civil War1919-1921World War II - 1941-1945The Cold War - 1945-1991The Korean War1950-1953Vietnam War - 1956-1975U.S. Intervention in Lebanon - 1958Dominican Intervention 1965Iranian Hostage Rescue 1980 (April 25)U.S. Libya Conflict1981, 1986U.S. Intervention in Lebanon - 1982-1984U.S. Invasion of Grenada 1983"Operation Earnest Will" 1987-1988U.S. Invasion of Panama 1989Second Persian Gulf War "Operation Desert Storm" 1991"No-Fly Zone" War1991-2003U.S. Intervention in Somalia - 1992-1994NATO Intervention in Bosnia (Operation Deliberate Force) Summary - 1994-1995U.S. Occupation of Haiti 1994U.S. Embassy bombings and strikes on Afghanistan and Sudan (The bin Laden War) - August, 1998"Desert Fox" Campaign (part of U.S./Iraq Conflict) December, 1998Kosovo War - 1999Attack on the USS Cole October 12, 2000Attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon September 11, 2001Afghanistan War (Operation Enduring Freedom) October 7, 2001-2021"Operation Iraqi Freedom" March 19, 2003-2011
How to Know Jesus
Question: How do Stacie and Carrie know they'll go to Heaven?Answer: It's not because of what they've done or who they are. It's because Jesus lives in them. Anything good in them is because of Jesus in them. They know God and His love in a personal way. They've followed what God said in His book: the Bible. They invited Jesus to be their Savior and Lord. You, too, can know God. Yes, He really does love you!
Take His Word for it:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16 (NKJV)For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.-Rom. 3:23 (NLV)For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us... -Rom. 3:25 (NLV)That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. -Rom. 10:9 (NKJV)Understand that God loves you with infinite love! God is good, holy and righteous and we fall short of His perfection. So we need a Mediator, Jesus, who lovingly took our punishment for all our mistakes.
Believe that Jesus is God's Son that took your punishment. He took your punishment for all your sins (anti-God ways) and that He rose from the dead for you, __________.
Repent (turn away from) your sins (anti-God ways) and submit yourself to Him as your Lord.
Receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. Talk to God and give your life to Jesus.
Pray from your heart. If it helps, pray something like this:
God, I understand now...You sent Jesus to share Your love and make it possible for me to be Yours. Please forgive me for all my sins. Jesus, I believe you took my punishment on the cross and that you rose from the dead for me personally. I turn away from doing things "my way" and ask that You rule my life, Jesus. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I put my trust in You not in the things I do. I love You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Welcome into God's family! You are now His! Get connected with a loving, Bible-based church, enjoy the supreme joy of being baptized, and savor the Savior's love forever! Read the Bible. (If you don't have one, start reading the Gospel of John by clicking here.)
He'll never divorce you. He'll never die. He'll never change. He loves you! Enjoy loving and obeying Jesus and experiencing His love forever and ever! If you'd like prayer or more information, e-mail us anytime.
Take His Word for it:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16 (NKJV)For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.-Rom. 3:23 (NLV)For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us... -Rom. 3:25 (NLV)That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. -Rom. 10:9 (NKJV)Understand that God loves you with infinite love! God is good, holy and righteous and we fall short of His perfection. So we need a Mediator, Jesus, who lovingly took our punishment for all our mistakes.
Believe that Jesus is God's Son that took your punishment. He took your punishment for all your sins (anti-God ways) and that He rose from the dead for you, __________.
Repent (turn away from) your sins (anti-God ways) and submit yourself to Him as your Lord.
Receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. Talk to God and give your life to Jesus.
Pray from your heart. If it helps, pray something like this:
God, I understand now...You sent Jesus to share Your love and make it possible for me to be Yours. Please forgive me for all my sins. Jesus, I believe you took my punishment on the cross and that you rose from the dead for me personally. I turn away from doing things "my way" and ask that You rule my life, Jesus. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I put my trust in You not in the things I do. I love You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Welcome into God's family! You are now His! Get connected with a loving, Bible-based church, enjoy the supreme joy of being baptized, and savor the Savior's love forever! Read the Bible. (If you don't have one, start reading the Gospel of John by clicking here.)
He'll never divorce you. He'll never die. He'll never change. He loves you! Enjoy loving and obeying Jesus and experiencing His love forever and ever! If you'd like prayer or more information, e-mail us anytime.