Happy Birthday, United States Army ! ! !

Comrades in Arms: If you are receiving this e-mail, it is because you served in our beloved United States Army. ***************** ***************** HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ! ! ***************** ***************** Click on this link to see a video of the official birthday greeting from the Sergeant Major of the Army. When his speech ends, keep that link open, because there's more official United States Army videos that follow. Today, SUNDAY 14 JUNE 2009, is the Two Hundredth and Thirty-Fourth Birthday of our beloved United States Army. On 14 June 1775, the Continental Congress authorized George Washington to raise a body of regular troops. Both my paternal and maternal ancestors served in that original Continental Army, as patriotic rebel soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. During the War Between The States, my ancestors served in both armies, Union and Confederate, and I'm proud of all of them. My father was a soldier, my stepmother was a soldier, my uncles were soldiers, my brother was a soldier, my brother-in-law was a soldier, my cousin was a soldier, and I was a soldier. So, pin your medals on your Sunday-go-to-meetin' suit, and enjoy some nice cake and ice cream. Here at the Old Soldiers' Home, we celebrated the Army's birthday in our theatre on Friday 12 June 2009, because the staff is off duty on weekends. Sergeant Major Grimsley(?), from the Pentagon, was our guest speaker, and he presented a slide show. We all sang THE ARMY SONG, and a nice cake was sliced with a sword held by the oldest Army veteran, a ninety year old resident of the Soldiers' Home, and the youngest soldier, a member of the Color Guard furnished by the famed "Old Guard" of the Third Infantry Regiment. Because I am unabashedly "Old School", I was disappointed that there was no chaplain, and no invocation, as we have had in past years. Afterwards, we went to the saloon (nicknamed "The Snake Pit"!) for sandwiches, punch, and cake, as oldies Rock 'n' Roll music played in the background. Some guys took pictures of the event, and I expect they'll probably be posted in the next few days on the official Soldiers' Home web site. Since I was all dressed up in a coat and tie, wearing my medals, and my Cavalry stetson, complete with spurs on my boots, they also took some photographs of me, but I don't know if I'll be able to get any copies to share with you. So, have a great birthday celebration, and be sure to remind folks what it's all about. Thank you. At Your Service, John Robert Mallernee Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400 NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."