I hate to admit this, but to me Memorial Day hasn’t meant much more than an extra day off from work or school. My childhood memories of Memorial Day focus on our family backpacking trips on the Olympic Peninsula that were often rainy, muddy experiences, which tested the bounds of family togetherness.
We have very few people in our family that serve or have served in the military. While I was always aware of the meaning and importance of Memorial Day, I have done very little to observe it in the manner that it was intended. I planned to change that starting this year.
This Memorial Day started out with one of my favorite types of breakfasts, the fundraiser pancake breakfast. I don’t know why, but I just love these. I think it’s the whole experience - lots of people having a great time for a great cause. Plus it involves food!
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It was our local Boy Scouts that hosted the event held at . The weather cooperated, but there was a large shelter and tent set up just in case. The boys did a wonderful job preparing and serving the breakfast. They were friendly and obviously having fun with it.
For entertainment there was a flag ceremony and afterward a duo of a young man and woman (sorry, I didn’t get their names!) performed Beatles and Beach Boys hits.
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That afternoon we attended the at . The Gig Harbor Fire Department, with the assistance of other local agencies and businesses, is to be commended for organizing this event. It was respectful, emotional and just felt appropriate.
It seemed as though half of the large crowd that gathered were in uniform of some sort, many from quite a distance away. I overheard more than one story of “where I was when the Twin Towers fell.” There was a collective feeling of purpose and meaning for being there when this 8-ft rusted beam arrived. It’s just a piece of steel, but it represents so much more.
I tried to take as many pictures as possible, especially during the arrival of the procession, but it was all a blur through my viewfinder from the tears welling up. How do professional photographers do it?! If the ceremony, particularly Lt. Kent Cooper’s emotional recounting of the journey, did not tug at your heartstrings I have some serious doubts about your humanity.
I am confident that the Gig Harbor Fire Department will find a proper way to display the artifact and make it available to the public. I know they are looking for input and funding for that project and I hope they find it soon.
This year I felt much better about the way we observed Memorial Day. I am already thinking of ideas for next year. Maybe attending a ceremony at one of the war memorials at the state Capitol or volunteering for a project to assist wounded veterans. But why wait for next year or limit it to one day? Perhaps the best way to honor Memorial Day is with what we do in between each one.
