Memorial Day

Sight and sounds of Memorial Day in a small town...

Families bringing out their lawn chairs, and on a day pushing 80 at parade time...looking for a big shade tree.

The local band in shorts and orange t-shirts marching and the drummers smacking their drums.

The local boy scouts trying to stay in a "left-right" cadence. I'll give them an A for effort, and a C- for execution.

A big part of the crowd heading up Old Prospect Hill for the ceremony at the cemetery.

A former neighbor of my wife reciting the Gettysburg Address.

A 90-plus year-old veteran reciting a poem named "Thanks for visiting my grave." (That one gets me every time.)

A 9 or a 12 gun salute. (We could'nt see how many were shooting.)

For the ending...A boy scout playing Taps on the trumpet. (That gets me every time, too.)

When I was at draft age...it was the early seventies, and everybody was trying to find a way out of the service...not trying to get in.

Even with all its faults...I love my country, and am thankful for all the veterans who served, or who gave their lives.