News-Miner Editorial
Time to remember
Memorial Day is our opportunity to honor the fallen
Published Sunday, May 25, 2008
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Stumble It!East to west across our country on Monday, the sun will dawn on a day of remembrance, illuminating banners of red, white and blue ceremoniously flying at half-staff, to be raised briskly to full staff at high noon.
Memorial Day is a day of mourning for the people of the United States; a day of solemnity and honor for those who have laid down their lives for their country. At 3 p.m. local time on this day, wherever Americans may be, they are asked to observe a national “Moment of Remembrance” — one minute each year to stop, remember and honor.
This is a holiday of a different kind of celebration. It’s less the kind that brings whooping and hollering, but the kind that swells the heart with pride and brings a tear to the eye.
This is a day set aside to visit memorials and set flowers on the graves of America’s fallen; those individuals who gave the ultimate sacrifice for a country they loved.
One day of the year we remove the debate and politics and focus on these individual soldiers who for whatever reason now lie in the ground in their home cemetery, or who left for war and were forever lost.
Remembrances and local celebrations are most fittingly organized and led by veterans and active military units; people who know firsthand about the sacrifice and understand these losses in a way no one truly can unless they have walked a battleground in a soldier’s boots.
It is easy to understand the continuing movement that asks the United States to move observance of this holiday back to its traditional May 30, instead of this last Monday in May, which has created a three-day weekend many celebrate as the beginning of the summer season, a bookend holiday with Labor Day marking summer’s end.
It’s not so much about a date on the calendar but what people choose to do on that date, however. All of us can do what we can within our families, our communities, our individual circles of influence, to see that Memorial Day is marked as it should be; with ceremony, mourning, pride and honor for the fallen.
Community Discussion
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An editorial we can all agree on.
Here's to my friends, Manning, Seckman, and Davis who made the ultimate sacrifice when they augured in near Valdez 22 years ago- and to all who have paid with their lives during their service.
THANK YOU, to all that have past from this life, and upon who's shoulders we have we rode to a better and brighter future.
50/50 you are right. An editorial we can all agree on. We cannot thank our vets enough for their service, and most importantly, the ones that have given their all for their country. No matter one's politics, giving one's life for his/her country is something that rises above everything else one can do. God Bless those that have been taken from us and God Bless the ones that are serving today, many in foreign lands, away from friends and family. Keep them safe and out of harm's way.
Yukla 27.
You'd think after all the holidays Google changes their name for, Memorial Day would also have a place within google's "oogles". IT doesn't. Does google live under a rock or just abhor the military all together?
Skagdog, I believe Google uses Armistice Day (Nov. 11) as its universal memorial day. (http://www.google.com/logos/veterans07.g...)
God bless our heros all.
I thought some of you would appreciate this site.
http://www.legacy.com/KansasCity/soldier...
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