My Memorial Day Experience

After a shower this morning, I went to the mall for my daily walk. I wore my Marine Corps T shirt and my veterans vest and ball cap. That generated a few curious stares from the sundry morning mall goers, but no inquiries or even a tip of the hat from any of those present.

I left the mall after a brief lunch and drove over to our local memorial. It's a Vietnam era F-105 Thunderchief on a pedestal and enclosed by red bricks and an iron garden. Inside their are red bricks inlaid into the pavement with the names of those who have served and their family members. There are also reflection benches of marble for each branch of the military and the three black granite monuments with the names of those from our county, who have been lost to wars.

There was one truck in the parking lot at 11 AM of this overcast Memorial Day in west Georgia. I could see a lone individual paused and reading the names on the bricks that inlay around the memorial. I noted that he was wearing a Vietnam veterans hat similar to mine and that he had on his veterans vest on also.

After a few minutes, I got out of my truck and walked into the memorial garden. The other gentleman and I just looked at each other and nodded, as each of us sought simply the solace of remembrance of those who this monument was erected to pay tribute to.

After a while, the other man's son drove up in the parking lot and got out to come see his dad. Ss he approached they each said hello to me and the other veteran looked over and said "where were you at?" I told him that I have spent my time in Vietnam aboard a ship in the Tonkin Gulf, the other man told me that he had been in 82nd Airborne.



He asked if I knew who to contact about having a brick laid with the other commemorative bricks. I told him I wasn't sure, but that someone at the park office should know who to contact. The other man and his son thanked me and as he turned to leave, he stopped and looked back and said "welcome home."

For a moment I felt that old sting once again, but it quickly passed and I told him welcome home too. Just two old guys meeting at a memorial to once again attempt to shed some hard to die memories. The man and his son walked to their vehicles hugged and slowly drove away. I was alone with my thoughts and the names on the inscription on the wall where those black granite slabs stand.

I went over and touched the black granite panels and said a few prayers for the names listed there. Names dating back to world war one are listed on our memorial. World war two and Korea dead are honored there too as are those from Vietnam. I spoke to them all and told them that all was still well and that there were still those of us here who remembered. And then it dawned on me that there would soon be new names included to their ranks. New slabs of black granite would chronicle the most recent payments made in behalf of freedom. That thought shook me back to the present reality and I decided that it was time to leave.

As I was preparing to leave, I set up my camera and took a timed shot of myself in front of the memorial. Then as I was turning to leave, a van pulled into the parking lot. As I was approaching my truck I watched as two women got out. It was obvious that they were coming to visit the memorial, but neither of them struck me as being old enough to be taking the time out of their day for such a humble visit.



Then the youngest lady opened the rear door on the van and reached in and retrieved a little boy about four years old. As she stood him up on the pavement, I immediately recognized that something was very special about this little man. Every bit of four years old? And wearing a set of United States Marine Corps dress blues. His mother upon seeing me said "look Eddie, he's a Marine too! Just like daddy!" The little boy walked gingerly past me headed toward the memorial and the looming and enticing F-105 standing sentinel behind us. As he passed he gave me a high five when I asked him to, then proceeded to walk toward the memorial and a quickened pace. Obviously wanting to see this big plane up close.

I asked his mother if I could take his picture and she said sure. She told her son that I wanted to take his picture and to come back and stand up straight like a good Marine. He immediately turned around and went into his best impression of attention and I snapped the photograph. His mother then told him "say thank you and salute," which he immediately did. I told him Semper Fi! Marine! And his mother looked at me and said...."his father and uncle are both Marines serving in Afghanistan right now." I told her to thank her husband and his brother for me. Then she and the little boy and the other woman turned to walk into the memorial garden for their private time.



As I got into my truck and sat down behind the wheel, I had to fight back tears at the experience that had just occurred. It was if those voiceless names had spoken back to me directly though that little boy. And as I drove away I said a prayer of thanks that we still have people like Eddie's father and uncle. And I pray that Eddie comes back to that memorial on Memorial days for many years to come. And I also pray....that he will never have to see his father's or his uncle's name on those new granite slabs that will be ordered soon.