Memorial Day, how do you celebrate?

BGEChicago

I never had the wisdom to serve, my father and father in law did though. The wife and I will be visiting the FIL graveside then go see pop and "cookout" with burgers and dogs at his house as I can't convert him at 74 years old    

JohnInCarolina

Now that our youngest is old enough to start to understand what the day is about, our approach the past couple of years is to sit both of our girls down and to calmly explain to them what the day is about: honoring those who lost their lives trying to protect the men and women serving right next to them, in defense of this great nation.  

And my hope is that our talk makes them think about the immense sacrifice and what has been lost on some of the other days of the year.  So, not so much a celebration for us, but a reflection.

Surveyor_Egg

Take my boys to a local cemetery that has a nice ceremony.  Bagpipes, some prayers, national anthem and speech or two.  The soldiers that put on the event do a real nice job though they are getting fairly elderly.  I wonder how long it will last.  I will always go but I think it will get smaller and smaller.  I usually talk to the boys about the whys of the day and answer any questions they have.  I bring up freedom and what it means to me.

1voyager

I think about my Dad, who fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He retired as a Master Chief in the United States Navy in 1966. After that he designed bombs for the Navy at a remote base in Southern Indiana.

I think about the irony that during WWII my Mom was a "Rosie the Riveter" in a Rhode Island factory making torpedoes while my Dad was aboard a destroyer escort (DE) off the coast of Brazil guarding against German submarines.

Then there were my uncles that served in the United States Army during WWII. One was severely injured while fighting on Iwo Jima. Bayonet through his upper right thigh while he was pretending to be dead. Another sustained severe frostbite while driving tanks somewhere in Europe. He lived with constant pain in his legs and feet for the rest of his life. There were nine uncles in total. All of them came home.

Five cousins who served in the United States Marines or United States Army in Vietnam. They all came home but one was never the same.

I think of myself when I was a boy and wondering if I would ever see my Dad again when he was on three "tours" of Vietnam.

GaBGE

My wife and I along with our two daughters(9&7) went to a memorial service in our hometown. Met my parents there(father served in Vietnam). Girls are old enough now to somewhat understand what Memorial Day is about. It was a good service but pretty sad that not many people came out, probably only 60 people. Out of the 60, less than 15 under the age of 60. I was thinking about it while there, that after the older folks(service members and their spouses) are gone there won’t be many that come to things like this. 

Botch

I hope its okay to post this on this particular thread.
 
This video (which I didn't know existed) was posted on my farcebook, and I bet I'm not the only one here who grew up with this album in their home.  Wow!  
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5WJJVSE_BE
 

BGEChicago

^^^^ If you have a pulse you will find this moving!^^

DoubleEgger

Interesting read 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/05/27/memorial-day-netherlands-wwii-soldier-grave-tended-stranger-74-years/1249206001/

lkapigian

I spent it in Awe for what people did so we came be here today , Free

thetrim

This showed up on my wife's FB today from many years ago...For many years, we would stock up on flags throughout the year and go place them at the as many graves at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell and would thank the families of service members buried there from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.