May
26, 2014
My
instead: I attended (and photographed) a
military service for Memorial Day.
Memorial
Day morning was busy for me. I had to clean a house faster than usual in order to
get to Smithton in time for their Memorial Day service scheduled for noon. After
I had finished, I rushed home, got cleaned up, grabbed my camera and headed out
the door.
As
I got closer to the cemetery, I noticed my mom’s car. She was doubling up on Memorial
Day activities, having just left Green Mount cemetery’s service. I parked my
car and walked up to where she and her friends were sitting. I got my camera
and zoom lens out and began looking for that perfect shot.
The
Anthem was sung, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and speeches were made.
There was a wreath laying ceremony as well. After the 21 gun salute, Taps was
played by a nice young man who had recently been accepted into the Naval
Academy.
When
it was all over, the crowd disbursed and another Memorial Day service was on
the books. We had done our duty to honor the men and women that served our
country, especially those that lost their lives doing so.
Noticing
all the elders that had participated or observed the service, I couldn’t help
but wonder how long this tradition would be a part of the Memorial Day holiday
events. Will it die off along with all the veterans that have passed? Will their
sacrifices be forgotten?
But
what about right now? How many of us genuinely honor? Dare I mention this? Is
it simply pseudo honor?
Maybe
next time I’ll put the camera down…
No comments:
Post a Comment