Memorial day

During my college years, because I was a veteran, it was my privilege to work at a National Cemetery, the one in Springfield, Missouri.  There are veterans of both sides of the Civil War buried here along with veterans of every war.  While I worked there a woman in a Mercedes convertible came and stood by a grave almost every day. I served there for almost 3 years.   This was unusual for anyone, but in that community one did not see many of these kind of vehicles.  She would stand at the grave and often cry.  I discovered she had a son who was killed in the Viet Nam war some years before.  Even though by then the war was over and most of America was trying to put it into past memories if not just trying to forget this ten year war.  She remembered every detail;  the grave and tombstone of her only son still cried loudly of his and her sacrifice.  Memorial day is about “remembering” these sacrifices, not just the soldier or sailor who gave their lives, but their mom’s, dads, families, and nations who grieved and remembered that sacrifice.  This Memorial Day, join me in remembering.  We live with freedom and hope because of these kind of sacrifices.  It is important that those who lost loved ones don’t cry alone.

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