Decoration Day by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

Monday is Memorial Day, but you know what it’s about?

 

The other day at work, they asked everyone what Memorial Day means to them. The Vet in the group said it was remembering those who have died. I was the one who said it was to remember and honor fallen heroes.

 

Who’s right?

 

Guess what, I am.

 

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and it was to honor those who lost their lives in the Civil War.

 

After World War 1, it became Memorial Day, but it didn’t become a national holiday until the late 1960s.

 

And it wasn’t always celebrated on the last Monday in May like it is now.

 

But let me point out, that it wasn’t so we could honor and remember our ancestors, it was so we could honor those people who gave their lives for our country!

 

Now for Konnie and me, that does include some ancestors, especially if you go back as far as the Revolutionary War. Then again, nowadays everyone includes all military vets, so we have quite a few more family members who will have flags put on their graves this weekend. Our father, an uncle, and a great-uncle on our side. I also have my father-in-law.

 

And that list doesn’t include the vets in our family who are still alive, like Konnie’s husband, my husband’s two brothers, and one of our cousins.

 

I’ve mentioned before that our great-uncle survived Pearl Harbor. My father-in-law served during the Korean War, our father and uncle served during Vietnam, and both our husbands, our cousin, and my husband’s two younger brothers all served during the first Gulf War (better known as Operation Desert Storm).

 

And I will certainly remember all of their services for our country this weekend, even if Veterans Day in November is supposed to be for honoring living Vets. I’ll remember them then too.

 

I’ll also remember them on Flag Day (June 14^th), Independence Day, and of course Veterans Day (November 11^th). Though I will also remember them on Thanksgiving Day, because without them where would this country be? Where would I be?

 

It is the men and women who gave their lives to this country that made this country so great. I will always be grateful for them.

 

So, this weekend, I will be going to McCammon, and possibly have a picnic. What will you be doing for the holiday?

 

And where it comes to writing, have you ever written a story that took place around Memorial Day? And if you have, what sort of things do your characters do for the holiday?

 

Whatever you have planned for this weekend, drive safe.

 

And happy writing everyone!