Every day is a day to remember
Published: May 29, 2012
How did you observe Memorial Day? It was a peaceful day in our military household in northern Virginia. My mom is here visiting us. Two of our three children are home for the summer. We grilled in the backyard, and when we sat down to eat, my husband said grace and added a prayer of thanks for those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy.
Just the day before, I met up at the Lincoln Memorial with a group from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, including TAPS founder Bonnie Carroll. The group of fifty or so included spouses, parents, siblings and children of service members who have died in the line of duty. The tone was far from somber as these proud family members enjoyed the company of others who understand their stories, because they live them. Some shared their stories with me.
On my way back home, I walked through the National Mall, where if we only stop to recognize it, it’s Memorial Day every day. Statues, gold stars and names engraved in stone represent those who have fallen and the families who mourn them.
Observances were planned at several memorial sites over the weekend. Wreaths, flags and red poppies stood out against white marble and limestone.
Each Memorial Day since 1993, for example, veterans, family and friends have gathered at the Vietnam War Memorial to pay tribute to American’s veterans.
This year, the Memorial Day Writers Project, in conjunction with the MilSpeak Foundation, has created an anthology, selections from the groups work from 1993 through 2011. Find more about the anthology at milspeak.org. Sales of the anthology benefit MilSpeak and the writers project, both nonprofit organizations for preserving the stories of veterans and families.
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