Memorial Day

I must admit Memorial Day, to me, is usually about the picnic.  But this year is a little different.  I was asked to write an article for Memorial Day for our community.  I interviewed someone from the local VFW (Veteran's of Foreign Wars), read some local histories, checked out our local Veteran's Memorial and actually sorted through headstones from the two city cemeteries.

What I learned covered a lot more than what ended up in my article.  I'm guessing you're thinking I'm going to talk about my appreciation for those who have gone to war to defend my freedoms.  I am grateful for them, but I already felt that way.  What was new to me started with something different.  I live in Ohio, but I grew up in the West.  So, it was unusual for me to find grave markers for those who fought in the Civil War.

One hundred and fifty years ago the Civil War was raging.  And people who grew up in my little town jumped in to fight.  Many didn't even think twice, just signed up as soon as the word went out.  They left families and girlfriends and wives behind.

There was a story of one soldier named Henry from our town who got lost on a scouting mission in the deep South.  Hungry, he came across a cow, tied it to a tree and began to milk it into his mess kit.  A confederate soldier came upon him, and attempted to take him prisoner.  Henry responded by asking for help accomplishing the task at hand.  Together they milked the cow, soaked hard tack in it and drank up.  In the end, the Confederate soldier gave Henry directions back to his Union lines.  (See Pioneers with Web Feet, pg. 43, by Nelson P. Bard)

I've never taken much to history in the sense of memorizing dates and places, but I appreciate learning about people and the lives they led.  They may have lived in a different time, but they become real to me because of their personal experiences.  They are just like you and me in so many ways.

Understanding that those who gave their lives to defend my country's freedom were individual people with likes and dislikes, with interesting personalities, not just names with birthdates, makes their sacrifice profound to me.  I respect those who fought, both in modern times and before.

This year memorial day really is a time to remember - to remember the individual people who impacted all of our lives.