My Town Monday: Memorial Day

In the United States of America, today is the day we commemorate the memory of those who have given their lives in wars, past and present, to protect the freedoms we take for granted. You know, that stuff they taught you in high school, the freedoms and obligations as outlined in the Constitution of the United States. Go read it here.

As befits a port city, here in New York we observe Memorial Day in the middle of Fleet Week, May 21 to May 28, 2008.

Fleet Week begins with the Parade of Ships into New York harbor and some years ago an Aircraft fly-over was added to the day. See parade and fly-over photos here. For more than twenty years, New York City has used Fleet Week to honor the Navy, the Marines and the Coast Guard with public demonstrations of thanks and support for service members. In return, those service branches provide us with breath-taking displays and exhibits, lectures, musical performances and tours of visiting ships.

To our Canadian friends, if you noticed a few of your naval ships are missing, don’t worry. They are snug and safe, moored at Pier 92 in Manhattan. The sailors are giving guided ship tours during the day and when they get time to come ashore, we are treating them as favored cousins.

Fleet Week scatters its glory throughout the metropolitan area. The Blessing of the Fleet takes place in Staten Island. The Marine Corp sponsors a Helicopter Raid demonstration in parks all over the city and in several surrounding counties. Last Saturday we celebrated Marine Day in Times Square. And on Monday throughout the city there are dozens of Memorial Day Parades and special commemoration ceremonies. Click here for schedule of events.

Through the ages, writers and poets have enshrined society’s feeling about its war dead. But one man wrote what he believed were the feelings of the war dead themselves. His name was of John McCrae. (1872-1918) He was a Canadian physician who served in Europe in World War I from 1914 until he died of pneumonia while on active duty in 1918. Lest you cannot read it in the accompanying picture, here is his poem, In Flanders Fields.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

This Memorial Day, I’ll be standing on a corner, waving my flag and watching the local parade. My oldest grand-daughter is marching with the Daisy Girl Scouts. (The five-year-olds.) After the parade, I may find a moment to explain that by marching she honors her many greats-ago grandfather (on my ex-husband’s line) Thomas Adams of Pennsylvania, who joined the Revolutionary Army and died in December 1776, leaving a wife and nine children.

So, enjoy your barbeque, wave a flag as your local parade goes by, and if you would, pause for a spiritual moment of thanksgiving in tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. And please take a moment to scroll down or click here to Elaine’s post about sending books and other items to our service members presently serving overseas.

The picture accompanying this post is courtesy of the Dambushers Branch 617 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Scarborough Ontario.

As always the guru of My Town Monday is Travis Erwin, who, I’m sure, will be eating several kinds of meat (and no lettuce) as part of his Memorial Day barbeque.

Terrie