Memorial Day

It’s a holiday weekend and our campground is packed. It is full of mostly Grandpa and Grandma--local folks who brought their RVs out for the long weekend. After they got set up the children came and the grandchildren. From the number of cars parked along the street and all over the grass, most of the neighbors came, too. But it is alright. Everybody is having a fun time. Campfires dot the landscape and there is the smell of wood smoke in the air. The families are playing volley ball, shooting baskets, and throwing horse shoes. There is always a crowd of grandparents sitting in lawn chairs around the playground. The campground owners just filled the swimming pool here on Thursday. The water must still be about 55 degrees, but that doesn’t stop the kids. They’re loving it. It makes me feel good that families are getting in a little quality time together.

I suppose for the majority of us, this is the essence of Memorial Day—a three day weekend to spend with family. That is great, but Memorial Day is also something else—a time for remembrance.

Memorial Day was originally called “Decoration Day”. It was a day set aside to remember those men, even boys, who had given their lives during the Civil War. Later the name was changed to Memorial Day and we have set aside this day to remember all those who have given their lives in service to their country.

I have had the opportunity to visit several Civil War Battlefields and National Cemeteries, among them Shiloh, Arlington, and, most recently, Gettysburg. In this multimedia age, we are often bombarded with scenes of everything from soldier’s joyful homecomings to the catastrophes of recent combat. Whether at a battlefield, a cemetery, or in my own living room, I am always struck by the strength and courage displayed by men and women (some barely old enough to be called adults) in battle. We cannot take our freedoms for granted. They were hard fought for by men and women throughout our nation’s history. This is the land of the free because of the brave.