Greetings from Sandbridge on a beautiful Memorial Day. The weather has been perfect for whatever outdoor activities you wanted to do all weekend and the unofficial start of summer has arrived. With all of the fun family summer activities it is easy to forget that this isn't just a holiday weekend where we get an extra day with our families to go to the beach, have a cook out, or catch up on rest. This past week a letter to the editor in the Virginian Pilot from a war veteran put it in great perspective for us by saying we should rename this day - Memory day.The letter by a local veteran of service to our U.S. Navy started by saying "please don't thank me for my service on Memorial Day - I'm still alive!"
Today is not the day to honor those who have served in the military, but rather it is to remember those who have lost their lives in active military service.The letter to the editor goes on to say the "Memory" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and liberty.Often we do not observe the day as it should be done, actively remembering those Americans who have paid the price for the blessings of liberty.
According to the writer you can change this by doing the following:
Today is not the day to honor those who have served in the military, but rather it is to remember those who have lost their lives in active military service.The letter to the editor goes on to say the "Memory" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and liberty.Often we do not observe the day as it should be done, actively remembering those Americans who have paid the price for the blessings of liberty.According to the writer you can change this by doing the following:- By wearing your Memorial Day Button from the first of May until Memorial Day.
- By visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
- By flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon. Memorial Day is a day of "National Mourning."
- By attending religious services of your choice.
- By visiting memorials.
- By participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance" at 3:00 PM local time, to pause and think upon the meaning of the day and for taps to be played where possible.
- By renewing a pledge to aid the widows, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.
