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Memorial Day

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Betty Lou Nagy

Published: May 22, 2008

It's a sacred day for all war veterans, none need to be reminded of the reason why Memorial Day must be commemorated.

Soldiers in uniform, a 21-gun salute, bugles playing taps: These are special ways we honor a military veteran at his or her funeral. The gunfire salute is an ancient ceremony that was adopted in 1875. Taps was composed in camp Harrison's Landing in 1862 to replace Tattoo. Volleys over the grave originated from an Army custom of halting battle to remove the dead from the battlefield. Once each army cleared its dead, three volleys were fired to indicate they were ready to resume the battle. This remains a meaningful ritual today, symbolizing the battle of life is over for the person who has died, but the battle of life must continue for those living.

Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. Sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance. The citizens of America owe their freedom to all who have given their lives for us. It only takes a minute to say "thank you" who gave their lives so I can have mine.

I want to tell you a true story. My husband (who was in the Korean Conflict) and I were in Winn Dixie. He was in his VFW uniform when this man came in and saw my husband and he saluted him. This only took a second but I want to tell you, this brought tears to my eyes.

GIs do not choose where they serve or what foreign policy they must enforce. No American death is too insignificant to remember then that life was lost.

Perhaps this most profound tribute of all was made on the first National Memorial observance in May 1868, by then Gen. James A. Garfield, when he said "They summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts and made immortal their patriotism and virtue."

I hope that everyone remembered that this year "A Time of Remembrance," which took place at noon on May 21 at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. that honored our fallen from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Congress established the "Moment of Remembrance" to occur at 3 p.m. (local time) on Memorial Day.

Please take the time and thank all the veterans for it will only take just a second to do this. Better yet, stop by any of the Veterans Posts, for they will have a ceremony to commemorate the "special day."

God bless America.

Betty Lou Nagy
LAVFW Post 9853
Avon Park

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