Patriots Day was just last month, Armed Forces Day was yesterday on May 17th and Memorial Day is coming up fast in about a week. My father Frank was very aware that these holidays exist in order to commemorate the sacrifices made and remember those who did not return. He would also check in with friends and family and determine if anyone needed his assistance before getting going on flying the flag and setting up the bar-b-que.
He ruminated carefully for months on planning out his memoir. He would sometimes look out of his den window lost in thought. I don’t know for sure; but, I suspect he was trying to remember the chronology of exactly what happened and when. He would also spend countless hours at local libraries researching the battles, dates, generals, etc. in order to be precise and accurate in the details of his story.
Let us all take a moment to remember the purpose of Memorial Day and remember those who did not return.
Neil is a newly retired optometrist who lives with his wife and two cats in Sharon, Massachusetts.