Greetings:
This coming Monday, May 31 this year, is the day set aside in the United States of America
to honor those who gave their lives in service to their country. It differs from
Veteran's Day in that it does *not* focus on those who served and lived, such as
(thankfully!) my father, my son, and myself; rather, it commemorates those who marched, or
sailed, away, and did not return to tell the tales. Sometimes those tales would have been
of heroism, sometimes of terror, more often of boredom, and loneliness. We will never
know, except as those who did return may tell us, and only then if we keep the stories
alive.
So often those whom we should honor on Memorial Day have no other remembrance. So often
they died too young to have families of their own, or if they did have children they left
their sons and daughters to be raised by others. Too many times only parents, and
siblings, and nephews and nieces, will ever recall the sacrifice; because the genealogists
of a future time will not find them "in the line". But they stood in the line
for us.
I encourage anyone who knows of someone who died in service to his country to post a
message about that person on this list. There is NO qualification of country; honorable
service may be found on both sides of every conflict. I do suggest that if possible, you
choose someone who is connected with the topic of this list; but if the name which you
would choose would not be written otherwise -- please, write it here.
And don't stop remembering when the barbecue is hot.
Darrell
list admin
Darrell A. Martin darrellm(a)sprynet.com
a native Vermonter currently in exile in Illinois
http://www.darrell-martin.net/genealogy