Wow... yesterday was a busy one and a hot one !!
The day started early for my retired Coast Guard Chief ! He joined American Legion, Dewey Lowman Post 109 last summer and is becoming very involved. Yesterday was his first Memorial Day event as a member of the 27 Flags Honor Guard. At 10:30 we attended the Memorial Day tribute in Arbutus, after that we went to Loudon Park Cemetery to honor our deceased veterans. At 2:00 the post held a very heartwarming ceremony to honor post members who have passed on this year, and all those who have served our country.
After a short break, it was back to the post to take down the flags.. out to dinner and then the two of us paid a visit to the National Cemetery to pay our respects as the sun went down.
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It was an emotional day for me.. a tear came as I watched my retired Coastie carry the cap of the united Coast Guard in a solemn remembrance of those who served. It seems like only yesterday that he was a young sailor just starting out on his 21 year "tour" of duty and I was a young military wife, beginning a new adventure ! I am as proud today as I was then to be part of a family of "Guardians."
I also paid my own silent tribute to the man whose name is on my Vietnam POW/MIA bracelet. I have had that bracelet for a very long time and every year I wear it the week of Memorial Day. This brave pilot in the United states Air Force went out on a mission, was shot down over North Vietnam and his remains have never been recovered.
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I shook hands and thanked everyone I saw yesterday who is or has been in service to our country. It is amazing how a look of surprise comes onto their faces when a complete stranger walks up and just says thank you. What power those two words hold!
Please remember to say thank you, not just on Memorial Day, but as often as you have the opportunity. No matter what your politics, we need to be thankful for those who fight for our freedom. We need to be thankful, not only for our miltary, but for our firefighters, our first responders, our police officers, our elected officials. It takes someone special to be willing to serve. Without them what would we do?
They recieve lots of complaints, but very little thanks. They will tell you.. its' part of the job... but still, those two words are sometimes all they need to continue serving, to continue doing their best for us.
And so in closing..... Thank you and God bless you...
Chris