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Memorial Day-How it was spent

29 May 00 - 12:20 PM (#235445)
Subject: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: bflat

The flag was posted before the coffee pot was turned on and before the morning shower. Music collected specifically to remember those fallen is playing on the stereo. I wore my American flag pin and earnings for the tennis match in the out-of-doors. My tennis friends and I stopped to talk about the meaning of this holiday. Stopped my a local memorial on the way home from tennis to see the wreaths and flags. Kids are coming for a cookout later. Will set the alarm for 3pm and another remembrance. Wonder how others remembered the men and women of the military lost in battle, hopefully, not by the sales at the mall.


29 May 00 - 12:29 PM (#235448)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: GUEST,Mbo_at_ECU

Unfortunately, it's: get up at 6:15am. Leave for school at 7:15am. In class from 7:45-11am. Lunch--walk in the rain. In class again from 1:00-5:00pm. Stay with sister at her job from 5:00pm-10pm. Leave for home at 10:15pm. Get home at 10:25pm--and try to do something to remind me of importantance of Mermorial day and who's lives it commemorates.

--Mbo


29 May 00 - 12:33 PM (#235451)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: keltcgrasshoppper

The town always has a big parade.. Very well attended..This year at 3PM a town wide moment of silence.. will be observed followed by a fly over by some of the Air Guard Fighter jets...It is a day which as a child I loved.. in the town where I grew up we as a community marched to the local cemetary carring baskets of flowers which were layed on the graves.. I just loved it . Looking back it seems strange.. but it was my favorite holiday...


29 May 00 - 02:43 PM (#235478)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: bflat

Kelticgrasshopper,

You reminded me of why I have lasting memories of this holiday. My home town had a parade, actually the only significant one. I recall the long march as a marcher and as a child. But, my neighborhood joined together with others and the culmination was the cemetary with the placement of flags at various gravesites. There were the guys my Dad's age wearing their uniforms and the oldtimers from WWI who wore some fragment of their uniform. Speeches were made and the lump in my throat was forming back then and now as I remember the dear friends who never came home from Vietnam.


29 May 00 - 02:44 PM (#235479)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Wotcha

Instead of PT, we were on parade at 0515. At 0530, the flag rose to the sounds of reveille, then it dipped, and then lowered to half mast. A few poems, a letter from a daughter who'll never see her father, then taps.
A missing man formation of combat jets flew overhead just as the last bars of taps played out ... a simple but awesome ceremony to remember the deadly duty we do.

A moment of silence.
Then to chow, and back to another day in the Gulf.

Brian


29 May 00 - 02:55 PM (#235481)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Banjer

There was a ceremony at the National Cemetery at the VA center. I visited the graves of some friends at our local cemetery...Several of them saw service in WWII, Korea, and the ones that were closest to me were from the Viet Nam era, boys I had gone to school with. While there I also stopped to pay respects to one kid who was a victim of a DUI hit and run. The driver was finally brought to justice, but at 16 years of age, Denny never had a chance to really live. Sort of a somber day.....


29 May 00 - 03:33 PM (#235488)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Mary in Kentucky

A Nation that fails to honor its heroes,
soon will have no heroes to honor.
-- Winston Churchill

I displayed my flag today in honor and memory of
Colonel William R. (Rich) Higgins, USMC


29 May 00 - 04:35 PM (#235513)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: bflat

Mary in Kentucky,

By your placing the name of Col. Higgins for the rest of us, we share on a more personal level the loss of a heroic figure. I visited the website. We must not forget. Thank you


29 May 00 - 04:44 PM (#235517)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: keltcgrasshoppper

Mary, I also visited the site you mentioned..It is very moving..thankyou for putting a face clearly in focus for me today.. My prayers are with that family and all of the other families touched by the tragic reality of war.


29 May 00 - 05:06 PM (#235523)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Sorcha

Kate and I went to the lake Friday eve, and just came home today, Monday. Last nite we sat around the campfire and played and sang all the sad songs we could remember. Had audience of about 15 humans and 8 dogs. Was a Wonderful Day/weekend with flags everywhere.


29 May 00 - 05:21 PM (#235528)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Mbo

Of course when I wrote that this morning, how would I know I would spend the latter half of the day shoveling mud in the rain? But if the work I did was even a FRACTION of the toil done by the trench builing men of WWI, I'd do it 100 times over.

--Mbo


29 May 00 - 07:12 PM (#235558)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: GUEST,Lucius

Said goodbye to a couple of hundred Morris Dancers, and helped pack in the 25th Marlboro Ale. Allison, I saw you once, then you were gone. If you read this, what happened??

Lucius


29 May 00 - 07:18 PM (#235559)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: harpgirl

...wrap-up breakfast at the Florida Folk Festival...then I had roast pig with Bill Sables, Allan C. & moonchild...memorable day...harpgirl


29 May 00 - 07:41 PM (#235567)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: maddengraves

each year my wife and i have a small back yard folk fest.once again this year as every year (this was our seventh festival) fellow mud catter dharmabum graced our stage with his wonderful music . i understand he has played on some hear me sessions but we are blessed by having him perform live each year. what a talent!he turned me on to this web site while here and i am blown away with all you do here .now i cant wait to hear more of your sessions and maybe even catch dharmabum here . we had a fantastic weekend and dharmabum was a large part of that! thanks dharmabum!!!


29 May 00 - 10:38 PM (#235649)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: MMario

spent most of the afternoon ripping out a streambed between two goldfish ponds, because it leaks and needs to be rebuilt.


29 May 00 - 10:50 PM (#235657)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Sandy Paton

My elder son, with two of his young daughters, rode a tandem bike in the parade today. When the names of the veterans no longer with us were read, the name of my business partner, a Korea War vet was omitted. He died on the last day of March (see his obituary on my web site's opening page HERE). My son went up to the fellow who read the names and asked him to add Lee's name to the list. This was done. An extremely moving moment for us all.

Caroline and I were singing at the Pinewoods Folksong Club Spring Weekend all weekend - three workshops and two concert sets. This morning's workshop was "chorus songs," and we shared a number of favorites with the group, including "What's the Life of a Man."

Sandy


29 May 00 - 11:46 PM (#235677)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: DonMeixner

Spent the day at an under appreciated international festival playing Irish and American music. Saw the F-16s fly the missing man, heard the salutes fired in the distance. Thought about the kids I saw go away and Then I thought of their kids and going to the desert. quietly sang Noman's Land in the yard at dark and watched through clouds at a few shooting stars. I thought of My Dad and afew of those I am missing. heroes all.

Don


30 May 00 - 12:36 PM (#235879)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Big Mick

Went to the hill, .................let the Low D have her head.......remembered and cried................went home.

Big Mick


30 May 00 - 12:45 PM (#235888)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Wesley S

Speaking of the malls I wish that everyone would refuse to shop on days like Memorial Day and the 4th of July. I do. There are so many better ways to celibrate those holidays.


30 May 00 - 12:58 PM (#235892)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: Barbara Shaw

Put a flag and some flowers on my father's grave. That night, when the VFW commander heard that the boy scouts had missed a veteran's grave, he went out himself in the dark and put another flag beside mine.


30 May 00 - 03:25 PM (#235933)
Subject: RE: Memorial Day-How it was spent
From: late 'n short

Most Memorial Days for me begin in Church but I couldn't make it yesterday. I missed it. Fewer people seem to stick around after the parade for the ceremony. It was a bit too chilly for shorts and tee shirts so maybe they were just too cold to stay. Or maybe they just don't think it's necessary to "remember". The irony to me seems to be that these days will always be necessary if we don't take time to remember.

A few years ago on the day after Memorial Day I was driving past the little park where our town has it's monument. It too was a windy, cold, drizzly day and one of the wreaths had blown over. I stopped my car and went over and stood it up and made sure it was secure in the ground. Not trusting the weather, I made sure the other wreaths were okay. As I started back to my car I heard a horn blow from the other side of the park. I ignored it but it blew again and I heard a voice calling me. An old woman rolled down the window as I got close to the car. "Thank you" she said. "It's hard for me to get out"

Over the next coupel of years, I'd see her at the cermony. She wasn't there yesterday.