I always liked having this type of holiday celebrated on the actual day. With the advent of the 3-day weekend, some of our National holidays have turned into nothing more than a chance to get away, to drink and drive and to party. IMHO our country is forgetting why we have Memorial Day. It's a day to remember those who lost their lives to keep this great country free. Last time I went to a celebration of this sort, the only civilians were the wives of buried soldiers and the men and women who fought in WW2, Korea & Vietnam. We are older now. Who will carry on the tradition when we have gone? Not my kids. They don't seem to care.
What will you be doing this weekend? It's okay to travel, to drink (responsibly) and even to party if you must. Will you take time to talk to another about why you have this weekend off? It's a National holiday! Those men and women serving our country here and around the world have offered up their lives to ensure our very lives. They have no idea when their service may cause them to offer the ultimate sacrifice.
My husband did not lose his life in Vietnam or in the Gulf War, but he served and watched men die. He remembers.
Please ~ this weekend ~ won't you remember those lives as well?
14 comments:
Thanks for post. I am going to make sure I get by to my father and tell him thank you. This has always been a hard holiday for him, a mixture of pride and bitterness. He hates that he lost friends in Vietnam, and for that reason would rather be an invisible shadow where his heroism is concerned. But to me, he is a hero along with all our other fellow service members. They may come from different walks of life, served in different agencies but all are bound by a common thread, and that is they've chosen to serve and protect.
Thanks for reminding us why we have this lovely three day weekend. bea
What a great entry!! I will do my part to remember... On Monday, my family is planning a trip to the National Cemetary here to visit my uncle who served in Viet Nam. I hope everyone will at least stop to remember on that day. As for the celebrations going on, there are many soldiers who have given their lives much more recently, the tradition will not die anytime soon. Thank you for the beautiful reminder.
Joann
I haven't forgotten what the holiday is about. John and I are going to visit my Great Uncle Charlie's grave. I don't know which war he fought in (isn't that bad, how quickly history is lost?), but we will pay our respects, none the less, to him and others like him who fought for our country and our freedoms. Thanks for the post, Penny.
Krissy
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink
That was a nice entry...thank you Penny. Yes we need to take at least a minute during the hustle & bustle of the holiday weekend to remember those who have served & are serving. Linda in Washington state
You make it all very personal. ;o) - Barbara
We spend the Memorial Day weekend at home. Our town is small, but the gathering on Monday for the procession from the town green to the cemetaries is well attended every year.
This is a town that does not forget and honors quite well.
Hope you have a good weekend Penny,
Pam
Beautiful. Hope you are having a special weekend, honey. Love, Val xox
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason
Well Mom, as a matter of fact, I care very much and I teach my children why we celebrate this day. My youngest son Isaiah marched at the cemetery yesterday to honor our War Veterans. And, at the tender age of 9, he already talks of going to the military when he comes of age so that he can serve his country. He just recently did a project at school where you paste your face on to the body of the person you want to be when you grow up... he picked a gunner in the military.
My father-in-law Johnny Doan served during Vietnam in the Battle of Khe Sanh, he was 18 years old and saw many of his brothers give their lives. It changed him forever. I am honored by the brave men and women who fight and die for us and our freedoms; past, present and future. Thank you to every member of our Armed Forces for risking your lives to keep our country safe and defending people who can't defend themselves(Iraqi children and mothers come to mind). I care deeply.
I Love you Mom...Peace, Heather
I forgot to mention my brother Bob who served in Afghanistan when the first Bush was President. It changed him forever too. Love ya Bob and thank you.
a lovely entry penny here in the uk we dont have memorial day, but we remember in november armistice day and like in the US fewer seem to remember why we do it. take care mort
I think people remember what they feel is important according to their age, so have faith in the youth - someday they'll get it. xoxo CATHY
I love you Penny! thanks for sharing this with us!
I love our Veterans! I always attempt to say thank you to any veteran I meet.
love,natalie
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