I remember three Memorial Days

As I write this column it’s Sunday and tomorrow is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday wherein the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces are remembered. The holiday, which is celebrated every year on the final Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War.

I am so thankful to have the freedom, time and access to this column to be able to share our plans for the day as well as my recollections as a young boy growing up in a more patriotic era.

I’ve been pondering Memorial Day for a while now and have three specific recollections I’d like to share with you.

The first is when I was a kid 60-plus years ago. It was the late ’40s /early ’50s and all of us kids used to gather at Merchantville Park in South Jersey across from Philadelphia. It was a neighborhood park where we played baseball, basketball, and hide ‘n seek.

But on this particular day each year that park took on an entirely different atmosphere. We gathered around a small knoll where there was a war memorial surrounded by a military honor guard, with the high school band playing and politicians speaking. They spoke of our recent WWII victory that was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and the freedom we had because of it. After the speeches, all the kids rode their bikes, decorated in red, white and blue crepe paper in a parade along with the band. It instilled a “magical” sense of patriotism in our young minds and we absolutely understood why we had a day off from school.

The second recollection is from a Memorial Day church service at Highland Park Church in Detroit shortly after we were married 40-plus years ago. On that particular day the pastor turned his pulpit over to a lay veteran, Don Kimball, who told an incredibly moving and emotional story about charging the beach on D-Day. He spoke in the first person reliving the indelible experience of watching one buddy after another being mowed down with enemy fire before his very eyes.

I can still remember the emotion that gripped the congregation as he spoke. I felt like I was right there with him. How many sermons do you remember from 40-plus years ago?

The third is when we celebrated Memorial Day a few years ago with my 91-year-old father-in-law, who was a proud Marine Veteran. We were in a local restaurant, where I had placed a flag at his plate setting on the table. As we left the restaurant that night, many of the guests at the surrounding tables joined in the recognition of our war hero. It was a fitting memorial to the scars that he carried until the day he died.

Monday morning, after breakfast, I planned to take two of my granddaughters to lay a flag at his grave. I want them to know why they have a day off from school!

But here is the sad truth that weaves all of these experiences into one stark reality. All of those WWII heroes are now in their late 80s and 90s and are passing from our midst at an alarming rate. And for those who are still with us, father time has taken his toll on their bodies such that these strong men and women of valor now need assistance with the basic activities of life. These brave heroes who protected our freedom now need our protection from those who would take advantage of them or at least not provide for them in a fitting manner.

Thanks for joining me in this Memorial Day tribute to our senior veteran heroes. Will you also join with me in treating them with honor, respect and the proper care they need and deserve in their final years? Thank you!

Thanks for reading All About Seniors. See you next week.

Bill Milby, CSA, is a Certified Senior Advisor and a Director of Visiting Angels® of Macon, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsMacon.

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