Topper's Remember Memorial Day

Did You Know? - Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces

Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.

Did You Know? - There are a number of variations on the traditional martini. The fictional spy James Bond sometimes asked for his vodka martinis to be "shaken, not stirred," following Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), which prescribes shaking for all its martini recipes.

However, Somerset Maugham is often quoted as saying that "a martini should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously on top of one another".

A martini may also be served on the rocks, that is, with the ingredients poured over ice cubes and served in an old-fashioned glass.

A dirty martini contains a splash of olive brine or olive juice and is typically garnished with an olive.[8] A "perfect" martini uses equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth.

Did You Know? - In the United States, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May. It falls near the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May.

First observed on 20 May 1950, the day was created on 31 August 1949, to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches – the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard – following the consolidation of the military services in the U.S. Department of Defense.

It was intended to replace the separate Army-, Navy-, Air Force-, Marine Corps- and Coast Guard Days, but the separate days are still observed, especially within the respective services.

The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions and air shows. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy established Armed Forces Day as an official holiday. The United States' longest running city-sponsored Armed Forces Day Parade is held in Bremerton, Washington. In 2012, Bremerton celebrated the 64th year of the Armed Forces Day Parade.

Did You Know? - Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt) is the ninth and highest enlisted rank (along with the grade-equivalent ranks of Sergeant Major and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps) in the United States Marine Corps. Master Gunnery Sergeants are senior staff non-commissioned officers (SNCOs), and are assigned a pay grade of E-9.

Master Gunnery Sergeants are sometimes referred to by the nickname "Master Guns" or "Master Gunny". These nicknames are unacceptable in formal or ceremonial situations, and, at the rank holder's discretion, may also be unacceptable for use by lower-ranking Marines.

The Master Gunnery Sergeant insignia consists of a bursting bomb (colloquially referred to as a "pineapple" due to the similarity of its appearance as stylized) centered vertically between three chevrons and four rockers.

Did You Know? - A chime bar or resonator bell is a percussion instrument consisting of a tuned metal bar similar to a glockenspiel bar, with each bar mounted on its own wooden resonator. Chime bars are played with mallets again similar to a glockenspiel.

The sound is similar to a glockenspiel, but with much more sustain, similar in this respect to a vibraphone but without the vibrato.

Did You Know? - In the military of the United States, the color guard (where the word color is referring to the national flag) carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command.

Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag (Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard). In addition to the flag bearers, who are positioned in the center of the color guard, there are two or more individuals who carry rifles and or sabres. This is a symbol that the flag (and it's nation) will always be protected.

Did You Know? - In the U.S., traditionally, the unit's sergeant major is responsible for the safeguarding, care, and display of the organizational colors. The sergeant major is also responsible for the selection, training, and performance of the members.

The color guard consists of enlisted members and is commanded by the senior (color) Sergeant, who carries the National Color and gives the necessary commands for movements and rendering honors during drill exercises or parade ceremonies.

Did You Know? - Being assigned to the color guard is considered an honor due to the fact that these individuals present and carry the symbols of their unit and country. Depending on the circumstance and subject to the orders of their commander, members may wear full dress or less formal uniforms. It is mandatory for all members of the color guard to wear headgear, for example, a garrison cap, beret, or service cap.

Did You Know? - The color guard renders honors when the national anthem is played or sung, when passing in review during a parade, or in certain other circumstances. In these cases, the unit and departmental flags salute by dipping (leaning the flag forward). However, with the exception of a response to a naval salute, the United States national flag renders no salute. This is enshrined in the United States Flag Code and U.S. law.