Happy Memorial Day!

Today marks the 148th year Americans have celebrated Memorial Day!  Originally, it was a day to decorate the graves of fallen Civil War Soldiers, remembering the sacrifices they made for their country and called Decoration day.  Today we mark the graves of all Veterans to honor them for the time they served and to remember that not all of our soldiers get to come home to see their families.  

Arlington Cemetery has a special wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier each year and this year Memorial Day flowers are back too!  The Memorial Day Foundation is bringing over 130,000 roses to Arlington Cemetery on May 30th this year and 30,000 of them will be handed out to family visiting the cemetery that day to be placed on the graves of their loved ones. For more information on this click here!

My Dad was one of the "lucky ones" that returned from the Vietnam War in one piece, but I still remember visiting the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C. with him and seeing him find the names of soldiers he knew that weren't so lucky.  He would be proud to know that this year at Eternal Valley Memorial Park and Mortuary in the Santa Clarita Valley the Vietnam Veterans that died in service to their country will be well represented among those remembered.  The kids wanted to decorate Papaw's headstone for the holiday and I think they picked out some great things for him!

I had the honor of helping my son and Mother-in-Law place a flag beside Granddaddy Wells' headstone this year while we were helping Cub Scout Pack 30 and a few other Packs and Troops place flags at Mountain View Cemetery in Vinton VA in preparation for Memorial Day!

Like everyone else, I am also enjoying the long weekend, but I hope you all will take a moment and say thanks to our fallen soldiers especially...but also then take the time to thank a Veteran...thank an Active Duty Serviceman or Servicewoman... appreciate all the freedoms their sacrifices afford every one of us and show some gratitude!  

I personally am grateful to everyone that is serving or has served in the military.  Thank you for being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to give all Americans a country where we have freedom of speech, press, religion and petition... a country where we are free to carry a gun...a country that allows us choices...Thank you for protecting America!