This will be a different type of Memorial Day this year. We will have limited family gatherings and no parades just the silence of the effects of the COVID-19 virus.
As I sit here, writing this, I am enjoying the sounds of birds chirping and the calm of the dusk of the day. It gives me pause and time to think of those who fought and died so we could enjoy our freedom. This holiday honors the men and women who died while serving in the US military and originated in the years following the Civil War.
I think of family we never knew that served, like my wife Betsy’s Great Uncle, who was a Seaman Second Class in the U.S. Navy on the USS Ticonderoga. His ship was sunk by a German submarine on September 30, 1918 during World War I. We were able to visit Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial in Paris honoring veterans from World War I and World War II this past October. They have grave sites and plaques for those who were lost at sea, her Uncle was one lost at sea.
We all have love ones, friends, and family we never met who served in the military and lost their lives defending us and our way of life. So as we approach the holiday lets pause for a moment and remember that even with the COVID-19 Virus and all the problems that come with it. We have the opportunity to hear the birds and enjoy the sunset because of those, know and unknown who gave their all. Yes, this is a different kind of Memorial Day.
Happy Memorial Day
Pat McRae