Happy Memorial Day in the United States of America. It's the day we set aside to honor our war dead. Heroes all and God bless them for their sacrifice. As every year I'll be serving on the Vietnam Veterans Purple Heart honor guard at the VA cemetary at the Zablocki VA Center just west of Milwaukee. My dad is buried there. Then its home for a barbecue and a few beers. And a few tears for those I served with who didn't make it home.
Happy Memorial Day to you! We are staying home, putting the tent up in our yard to "play camping". My kids stayed out their last night so we promised we'd take to the fresh air tonight.
I guess I did it wrong. On the 27th, I watched the Nimitz come in through the bay, and that night made a point of buying a round of drinks for a group of sailors off of the Nimitz. Welcome to San Francisco crew of the Nimitz. Enjoy your stay.
You did it wrong if you wish someone a "happy" Memorial Day. Either you have no idea what the day is for, or you never lost anyone in the line of duty.
There's a documentary that's very appropriate for Memorial Day, and anytime. The League of Grateful Sons is an excellent tribute to our vets from past wars. It focuses on WWII and some of the surviving veterans of Iwo Jima but it's relevant for all wars and all American soldiers. It teaches children to honor our past and present heroes who fought for freedom. It's available on DVD.
I have never lost anyone in the line of duty. My family has been very fortunate. And I didn't wish someone a "Happy Memorial Day" but I can see why someone would. Some people mourn the dead. Some celebrate the dead. As long as both respect the dead, I think either is appropriate. By the way- on Memorial Day itself we visited a monument dedicated to sailors of the Navy, Merchant Marine, and Coast Guard.
Oh quit being so tight arsed. I had a very "happy" Memorial Day as part of the Vietnam honor guard at the cemetery at the Zablocki VA Medical Center west of Milwaukee. I was "happy" to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice just as I was "happy" to have survived three combat tours in Vietnam.
The government made a 3-day weekend holiday out of it, so to most folks it's the day municipal pools open and the unofficial start of Summer. The actual intent of the holiday to recognize those who have died on the battlefield...well that's lost it's meaning to most. Some keep the day more solemn than others. Having a Dad who served in WWII kept the day more solemn to me..though I personally never lost anyone in battle. I've done a few angel flights, carrying the remains of the fallen out of theater, so it's important to recognize their sacrifice, but I don't need a government holiday to remember them.
