Letters to the Editor are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Sheridan Express.
Memorial Day 2008 is now just a page in time. I'm sure it was a day for most people that wasn't any more eventful than any other day. It might have been a day off for some, a day for family gatherings for others or a day to spend on the lake doing things we like to do. On May 30, 1868, it was a different story. It was the first observance of Decoration Day . It was held at Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomic River from Washington DC.
The observance was held to decorate the graves of the Civil War casulties with flowers as an act of remembrance and respect. Since that time, Decoration Day has been changed to Memorial Day and has been expanded to include all who have died in American wars.
What have we done to continue the tradition that was started so long ago? Have we continued to honor those who have died while serving our country? In our busy lives do we stop and even give thought to those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms we enjoy?
We are blessed to have a group in our community who make sure the tradition of honoring our war dead is not lost. These are men in our community who forgo the trip to the lake or relaxing in the easy chair for the day. These are men who give of their time to make sure we honor those who gave so much for our country.
Sheridan Legion Post 515 performs Memorial Day services at cemeteries in the area and have done so for many years. As the group ages, help has been enlisted from area Legion posts and from younger military personnel who are serving or have served in the national guard. In spite of age, weather, crowd attendence, these soldiers continue to carry on. We owe these people a great deal of thanks for continuing to honor the dead.
My hope is that this tradition will continue and will not be forgotten. We all enjoy the time away from work and a day just to relax. I think we can do both. Next year I challenge you to attend a service at one of the area cemeteries and then spend the day enjoying whatever you like to do. I think we can sacrifice a little of our time to honor those who have given so much.
My thanks to Phillip Wake, Mike Bainum, Ed Meek, Leland Wake, Laverne Walker, Eldon Hart, Roland Farrell, John Earl Young, Guy Allee, Chris Allee, Doug Allee and David Parman. Your dedication to the remembrance of those who died is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Chandra Hopkins
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