In the U.S. what does Memorial Weekend mean to you?

[Heather Shay]

Welcoming summer? Cook outs? Hanging with friends and family? Honoring the dead? Relaxation? Nothing? Binge tv?

[MetaLicious]

It means I'm another year older.  It used to mean getting 9 days off work for the low cost of 4 vacation days, but as a stay-at-home-parent, I'm lucky to get one day off a year.

[Mmindy]

For me as a Patriot Guard Rider who never served in the Military. I learned from those who are Veterans, and the Gold Star Parents that I've met. I can't count the number of fallen service personnel I've escorted to their final resting place. What I can say is: Once you've witnessed first hand a grieving parent, crying on the flag draped casket of their child. You'll never hear a more deeply felt mournful cry, from Mothers, Fathers, and Spouses who had their dream for a future generation taken.

 

It amazes me that when we're standing a flag line or acting as doormen at the funeral home, in the worst of weather. It's the Gold Star parent that comes out and worries that you're getting wet in the rain, or cold in the snow. Here we are standing in honor of their fallen child, and the continue to think of others before themselves.

 

This is why I take my flag flying responsibilities seriously.

 

Honoring our fallen military isn't just about those who most recently paid the ultimate sacrifice for his/her duty to serve. It goes all the way back to the fallen during the Revolutionary War.

 

May God bless and comfort the families as we remember the cost of freedom is free.

 

Mindy🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋 🇺🇸

[awkward-yet-sweet]

To me, Memorial Day is about those who served and died, and also about those who survived but carried pain and trauma afterwards.  We should remember the cost of maintaining our way of life, and also the cost of careless politics.  And our leaders should see the cost, and be inspired to choose peace where possible.  

 

My husband served in the National Guard. Won't talk about it.  His father was in the Army in Vietnam, and his mother was a military physician.  They don't talk about it.  There's something unspeakable that those in service go through, and often it is a family tradition.  This weekend, they're decorating the graves of military veterans... including friends and family.  While we're enjoying sports, barbecue, and time off....we enjoy it because others have secured this time and place for us.

[awkward-yet-sweet]

@Mmindyis correct.  This goes back all the way to the Revolution.  Earlier, even.  On one side of my husband's family, every generation has served...all the way back to the colonial militia in Jamestown in the early 1600s.  Kind of interesting to study the history.

[Mmindy]

38 minutes ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

On one side of my husband's family, every generation has served...all the way back to the colonial militia in Jamestown in the early 1600s.  Kind of interesting to study the history.

🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋🇺🇸

[Mx.Drago]

Remembering my grandfather's, the one I lost and the one I never met. Also, remembering friends of the family. But I don't usually reserve the holiday for time off, I usually always work.😔

[Willow]

Memorial Day

 

a day to remember my high school classmates that died in Vietnam, to think about those that died because they were disrespected of people that served, like I did but couldn’t unsee things, my father that served in France during World War One, he refused to talk about his time at the front, my great grandfather that fought in the Civil War, my many time great grandfather that fought in the revolutionary war.  All so others could be free to enjoy life and worry less about wars against other countries that didn’t like our way of life.

 

All need to remember, this country wasn’t just a bunch of States that banded together to be called United States.  It is all the people that fought for it, that gave their lives so we could have it today as well as all those who worked behind the scenes, supporting our country in the many many deterant type military jobs.

 

To all of us here, on this forum, who gave some measure of our lives so that all of you could have this  today.

 

I sing the National Anthem, I stand at attention and salute our flag.  I stand for the Air Force song.  And I honor my fellow military members.

 

that’s what today means to me!

 

Willow 

[Jani]

My Dad, Grandfather, several Uncles, and Father in law all served in the Navy as did I.  Today I think about them and the others that didn't quite get to finish their tour of duty.  I think of standing on the conning tower of the recovered submarine Squalus (SS-192) that sits in the square at the Naval base where I was born, to watch parades honoring our service men and women.  Whether they were in for a career or just a single tour, I think about those who served to protect this great country of ours. 

 

Jani

[Delcina B]

Remembering those who didn't come home: Combat Cameraman SSgt Chris Frost, Iraq 2008 & Flight Engineer SMSgt James Lackey, Afghanistan 2010 & too many others. Sometimes wondering why them, not me. Praying for their Gold Star families. Having a quiet day with my family.

 

One of the best movie lines ever, in my opinion is at the end of Saving Private Ryan, when the Captain as he lay dying tells Private Ryan, "Earn this." I hope at the end of my life I can look back & say to the best of my ability, I "earned this."

 

Hugs!

Delcina