Memorial Day Thoughts

Well, yesterday was Memorial Day. I spent the day in Gettysburg. They had the annual Memorial Day parade at 2:00 with a ceremony in the National Cemetery shortly thereafter.

The weather was wonderful. It was warm but not too warm. Actually, the sun was hot but when it went behind a cloud, the air was kind of cool. So, those of us who weren't smart enough to get a spot in the shade, fried in the sun. To say that I'm sunburned would be an understatement. But then I was in the sun for three hours straight.

The one thing about the parade in Gettysburg is that it is always full of reenactors. Gettysburg is the only town, that I know of, that a person can dress in period clothes, walk down the street, and have people completely ignore them. This goes for Civil War period, WWI, WWII, or anytime. People are so used to seeing it, that they don't see it any more. But seeing these guys (and girls) in the parade usually gives me goosebumps. The Remembrance Day parade has many, many more of these folks, but this parade is really good.

Afterwards, we headed for the National Cemetery and got a seat under a tree so that we could watch the ceremony. The gentleman who spoke (and for the life of me, I can't remember his name) was a former director of the FBI and CIA. He had ancestors who fought in the Civil War. He spoke these members of his family and how they helped to shape this nation. After he spoke, they had a 21-gun salute and someone played Taps. Very sad.

Memorial Day has become a day for picnics and not about remembering the men and women who gave their lives so that we could have picnics or come and go as we please or say what we want. If these people hadn't fought for our freedoms, where would we be today. I shudder to think about it. All I can say, and it isn't much, is THANK YOU!