Memorial Day 2008

Hardly anything beats seeing the American Flag waving on Memorial Day. Each year we’ve hung a huge American Flag from the beams on the second floor; the flag so large as to entirely cover the entry way to our house.

This year we’re doing something a little different courtesy of the local Boy Scouts of America. A couple of weeks ago while working in the yard I was approached by a young man wearing his Boy Scout Uniform, accompanied by his father, trying to raise funds for scout camp. They were seeking to have the opportunity to place an American Flag in my front yard four times each year on specific national holidays, Memorial Day being the first on the list. The scouts would come by and implant a flag holder somewhere in the front yard.

I was mowing the yard and observed where someone had spray painted a dot of orange on my grass and found the place where the flag would be placed. There was also a small dot painted on the curb for future reference. This morning Lucy looked out the window and was happy to see the American Flag waving away. She then looked down the street to see several other homes with flags standing tall in the front yards.

I remember listening to a WWII veteran being interviewed on the History Channel. He explained how tears would form at the sight of the American Flag while attending a baseball game during the playing of the National Anthem. In those moments he would be faced with the many lives it had taken to make our nation free from oppression and safe from our enemies.

May I suggest you take time today to ponder what that WWII Veteran was saying as we enjoy the fruits of their labors, their struggles and the terrors which remain locked away in their memories. Our gratitude can be expressed through the way we live our lives; if you haven’t already, go back and read the linked articles ( some are hidden in the title bars of the articles ).