While I know that I am a day early, I will be recovering from will likely be a helacious overnight shift tomorrow, I wanted to wish all the best to my fellow Veterans.
Between us we have fought and served in wars and skirmishes. We have served in peace and war.
Just wanted to say thank you to my fellow Vets as well.
Raise a glass of your favorite liquid tomorrow to our brothers and sisters, alive and dead, home and abroad. Toast our freedom, our sacrificie, their sacrifice, and to good times, and memories that are good and bad.
And, of course, to use one of my favorite quotes (emphasis added):
Once more into the breech, dear friends, once more
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favor'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say, "Tomorrow is Saint Crispian":
Then will strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap while any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
King Henry
in William Shakespeare's
King Henry the Fifth (1599)
Between us we have fought and served in wars and skirmishes. We have served in peace and war.
Just wanted to say thank you to my fellow Vets as well.
Raise a glass of your favorite liquid tomorrow to our brothers and sisters, alive and dead, home and abroad. Toast our freedom, our sacrificie, their sacrifice, and to good times, and memories that are good and bad.
And, of course, to use one of my favorite quotes (emphasis added):
Once more into the breech, dear friends, once more
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favor'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say, "Tomorrow is Saint Crispian":
Then will strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap while any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
King Henry
in William Shakespeare's
King Henry the Fifth (1599)
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