Abandoned Prosperity

America, for all its supposed wealth and prosperity, has many abandoned places. From natural disasters, to foreclosures, to budget cuts, to rebuilding; I've seen quite a few in my short life-time. All across this vast country people are homeless, when there are many buildings and places that could be "repurposed" to house them. This blog is all about the places I've lived and explored, over the past 50 years. It also involves other things of interest to me, which will become apparent as I continue along. Most places and events I can only remember and have no photographs of them. Currently, I'm active in exploring the current state I live in, Tennessee, when time permits me to do so. Follow along in my foot-steps as I clambour over and sometimes into the abandoned debris of our society...from junkyards to cellars to my own mind.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Happy Fourth 2017

I'm a bit late in posting this, I know. Work kinda gets in the way sometimes. Fortunately, I was able to get out to the cemetery yesterday (3 July, 2017), to visit Mom and pay my respects to my Uncle Warren (Mom's eldest brother whom we lost in March of 2014). Damn. It's been over three years? Time certainly does keep slipping into the future, doesn't it? Anyway, I placed a fresh flag and some red, white & blue flowers (plastic but that probably won't stop the arses that rob from graves) and a smaller flag for me (even though I'm not there as yet, knock wood). Mom was a veteran's Mom (hence, me), so, she more than deserves a flag. She was also a Vietnam veteran's wife until 1974. It doesn't say that on her(our) marker but then, I'm the only one that visits here and I'll never forget that.
 

Uncle Warren was a Navy vet who served during the Vietnam War era. I thank him for his service every time I visit him. I also (now that I'm aware of them), thank a few more vets every time I go out to the cemetery. One is my Aunt Mary's brother, Ronald Buckner. As far as I know, I'm the only one that's ever left at least a flag for him...and I never even met the man! That same goes for her sister Doris' husband, Ted Hightower. Now there are some flowers and flags where they should be. I'm not sure when the latter two men served but they were both in the U.S. Army and that's fine with me. At some point I'll have to do some investigating. In the meanwhile, I plan to make this an annual pilgrimage.




So, there I am at the cemetery. And though it's still before 09.00, it's pretty damn humid and hot! I look down into my bag of decorations and find that I still have three small flags. Well, knowing that there are probably more vets buried here, I set out to pay some more respects. I didn't have to wander far. Right at the road's edge from where Uncle Warren rests, are a trio of Army vets; all of whom served in World War II. The markers are all from the 1980's and quite weather-worn but, still readable. I did a bit of sprucing up and placed my remaining flags near the markers. I then went back to my car to get a pen and (in this case I only had some old napkins to write on) paper; returned and wrote down the info from each marker. Know this now, I'm hoping that there are surviving members that may one day find they have ancestors they, too, can visit. At this writing, I have no info on what outfits these men served in nor in what capacity. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that they chose to defend the freedoms that many of us still take for granted. And I thank each and every one of them for that, from one veteran to another. Their war, like mine, has been over for a long time. And if you haven't already, go find a veteran, either living or dead. Thank them for their service. It's because of veterans like us, past or present, living or dead, that you can continue to celebrate the Nation's birthday. And don't you forget it!

Sgt. Charles J. Ryan~U.S. Army WWII
April 22, 1912~Jan. 25, 1981

Left~Sgt. Harold Samuel Vineyard~U.S. Army WWII
May 30, 1908~April 10, 1984
Right~Pvt. George Eugene Murrell~U.S. Army WWII
Sep. 25, 1923~June 29, 1988