By Tom Crouser – Memorial Day weekend is best known as the official start of summer. Pools open, picnics happen, we take time off from work and often laze around. I know I do. It’s almost trite to say that we often overlook the purpose of a holiday, especially Memorial Day.
Who are we remembering when we celebrate Memorial Day?
We remember and honor the men and women who died serving in the United States Armed Forces.
It’s not about military service. Veterans Day honors those who serve or who have served in some capacity in our military. And, although most of us rightfully take the opportunity to remember family members and friends who have passed, the reason we have a federal holiday is because men and women died “in service to their country.”
Think of the phrase, “their country.” Well, that’s us; me and you.
It includes Ricky Charles, Glen Maston, Danny Dawson, Marvin Canterbury, Tom Coleman and Jimmy Burdette. These guys died in service to me and you. What’s more, these guys grew up within five miles of me and were my age. Ricky was a classmate and Glen was a friend of mine from my neighborhood. They didn’t get to grow old and be a part of their children’s lives let alone see their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
It’s said that Memorial Day grew out of the practice of decorating graves of Civil War soldiers. In some places only graves of a certain side were decorated. Unfortunately, wars continued and the number of graves to be decorated has increased.
In West Virginia, it began by decorating Grafton National Cemetery graves with flowers in 1869 when Major William Ballonee issued a proclamation asking that all citizens lay aside their tasks and join the Civil War veterans in the observance of “Flower Strewing Day.”
Memorial Day is significant and not just because it’s time off to be with the family. It’s about real sacrifices of real people.
Here’s hoping that you have a great holiday weekend. And here’s also hoping that we all take a moment to seek out and remember people we knew or could have known. I am sure they didn’t plan on giving their lives for us. But they did. And for that, they are worth remembering.
Tom
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