We are coming up on the Memorial Day weekend at the end of next week, which leaves us plenty of time to think of what the holiday means to each of us, and how we might want to say thank you to those men and women that we honor that weekend for all they have done on our behalf. Many of us probably associate Memorial Day weekend more with the beginning of summer, a great annual BBQ that we go to at a friend’s house, or perhaps a trip out of town to visit some family for the weekend. It is easy to forget, or at least not take much time to remember, why we have a three day weekend to begin with, as our lives get busy, our memory gets short, and our appreciation for what the fine men and women who have served to protect our freedom to do whatever they heck we want that weekend, can get lost in that shuffle.
Wikipedia tells us that Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action. Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at quarter-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each gravesite at National Cemeteries. Many Americans also use Memorial Day to honor other family members who have died.
Overtime, the meaning of Memorial Day has been expanded to include not just those who have passed serving their duty to our country, but to all men and women who have served, or are serving in any branch of the military. Locally in Valpo, the VFW and the American Legion have a variety of activities planned for that weekend starting with a Friday the 22nd 9am effort that will begin at the Amercian Legion where volunteers with gather to go out to local cemeteries planting flags on Veterans Graves, and the VFW has activities planned for that weekend, as well as a major event on June 14th where at 6pm they will gather at the VFW hall to bury flags on behalf of the deceased veterans with a flag burying ceremony to commemorate Flag Day with flags that have been contributed throughout the year. The Parks Department invites us to gather at the Service Memorial at the Veterans and Volunteers Plaza located at Foundation Meadows Park at 8:30am Friday May 22nd. Mayor Costas will speak, the names of those that have list their lives in the line of duty will be recited, and the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 905 will serve as the color guard and play Taps.
There are also no doubt countless BBQ’s held by veterans of wars ranging from WWII, to Vietnam and the war in IRAQ, as well as other community events that we would encourage you to be letting us know of so we can spread the word to others in Valpo that may want to participate with you and your group.
My goal, is to provide a reminder of what all these men and women, young and old, have done on behalf of the rest of us, whether they have laid down their life to defend our freedom, or they have put themselves into a position to do so, all because they believe so deeply that our freedom is worth making the ultimate sacrifice for. Let’s also not forget, that for every member of the services that gives up their life serving to protect our freedom, there are likely hundreds or thousands of individuals who are making many other sacrifices that may go unnoticed as we each go about our busy lives.
They are there to protect our freedom, though by committing to military service, they have ultimately sacrificed their own freedom. When one of them signs up to join one of the service branches, they effectively give up control over their own freedom for whatever period of time they commit to the military. They have no say as to when they will be called up, they have no say in where they are going to be deployed, they have no say in whether that commitment keeps them away from their family during their marriage anniversary, their children’s birthdays, their mother’s cancer surgery, the passing of a loved one, the annual summer trip to visit their family, Christmas, Hanukkah, or the graduation or big game of one of their children. They don’t get to decide after taking on the job, that 6 months later it is not a good fit for them like the rest of us do, and have the chance to go on and do something else that makes them happier, earns them more income, or shortens their commute.
Some of you reading this may not be in favor of the IRAQ or Afghanistan war efforts, or any of the other military activities, though that is a political difference that should have zero impact on your appreciation for those that respond to the call of duty that these men and women step up and take on. These folks don’t get to decide if they are in favor of the assignment they are on, or just resign because they are being called up for their 2nd or 3rd tour of duty that is putting a huge strain on the families both economically and personally. They get back on that plane, knowing full well the risk they are putting themselves in front of, and watching the tears of their children, their mom or dad, their wife, or their husband, who are going to miss their loved one dearly. Each of those people know in the back of their minds that this could be the last hug or kiss they get, at least for a while, and perhaps forever.
So what can you do about it that shows your appreciation and honor for what they have done, and are doing for us?
- Attend one of the many ceremonies going on over the next 10 days that honor our veterans and our current serving members.
- Visit one of the cemeteries in the area, and bring your kids, to remind each of you what being in the “service” truly can mean.
- Raise your flag on that weekend and throughout the year, so that those who serve or have served, and those related to those fine men and women, see an overflowing visible reminder of the appreciation we have for what they do on our behalf.
- Next time you are in a restaurant, at a gas station, or buying tickets at the movie theatre and see a member of the service, pay their bill. Most of these folks have made some kind of financial sacrifice as a part of their service, so chipping in for their lunch or buying them a tank of gas in really just a tiny down payment on the future of our freedom in honor of sacrifices that we ourselves are unwilling to make.
- Teach your kids to respect those in the service, to say thank you every time they see someone from the services, and to go up and shake the hand and look the service person in the eye when they express their thanks, which is the least any of us can do to demonstrate our appreciation.
- Stop by the VFW hall, the American Legion, the local service recruiting office, or anywhere else you see service men and women congregating, and meet first hand some of these folks that are going out to fight to protect our rights.
- Contribute to the countless charitable causes that each serve to help veterans with their health care, with the financial strains that joining the service can bring to their families, and can bring them food, movies, gifts, equipment, or anything else to make their time spent away from home a bit safer and more secure.
- Support spending programs that serve our military, regardless of what political party you are a part of, because providing for quality health care, buying the equipment that keeps them secure, giving them educational opportunities, and paying them as much as we possibly can, should have zero political boundaries associated with them.
- Make remembering their service a year round part of your life and that of your family. It is great to offer them special thanks on Memorial Day weekend, Flag Day, and the 4th of July, but these folks are doing their job on our behalf 365 days a year, and 24 hours a day. The thanks they deserve are just as important on a cold day in winter as they are on an early summer weekend at a BBQ.
- Send ValpoLife.com a photo and a few comments for anyone that has served in the armed forces, or is currently serving, so that as a community on the web, we demonstrate huge visible support and thanks for our dads, brothers, sisters, children, or neighbors that protect our right to go to that BBQ, visit our family, watch our kids ballgames, or travel safely, knowing that we are a part of the greatest country in the world, and are darn lucky to have them protecting that way of life for us.
Sending us your photos, comments, or a brief story is quick and easy. If you are a member, just login to the site and go to the Members area, and click on Contribute Articles, where you can easily post an article that you write, a handful of bullet points that we can turn into a short story, and ideally a photo or two of the service man or woman that you want to recognize. If you are not a member, it is just one more reason to sign up for membership, along with all the discounts and special offers that area merchants make available to ValpoLife.com members each week, and the weekly Best in Valpo newsletter that keeps you on top of the best stories, photos, blogs, and videos of the week. If you are not a member and just want to email us a quick note and attach a photo, you can send those to contribute@valpolife.com and we will get those up on the site right away. If you do not have a photo, or a particular person that you would like to recognize, but would like to pass along your thanks to this group as a whole, you can write us a short note and use the same means to contribute that to us.
We will be running a continually updated article and photo gallery throughout this weekend, the upcoming week, and all throughout Memorial day weekend, so take a few minutes Valpo to show your appreciation. It is free, easy, and the least we can do to say thanks to these brave men and women who protect our right to grill a couple burgers and gather with friends, and enjoy the full breadth of freedom, that even those in the service don’t have as much of as we do. Thanks for getting involved, and I look forward to reading your stories and putting a face on the character that makes this country great.