I remember my parents dressing me in my Sunday suit when I was a young boy, attending church, and later going with other family members to the segregated cemetery set aside for "colored folk." Family members placed flowers at the grave sites of those we loved and missed.
As I grew older, I realized that Memorial Day is a time of reverence and an opportunity to remember your loved ones who have passed away. At some point, I don't remember when, my family stopped visiting the grave sites and began celebrating Memorial Day at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. At the park, family and friends got together to barbeque ribs, chicken and links, and enjoy eating such traditional dishes as grandma's potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, pies, and cakes. Celebrating Memorial Day was an opportunity to participate in a great family reunion.
During the years that followed, as an adult living in Los Angeles, I continued to celebrate Memorial Day with my wife, children and grandchildren, but I seldom participated in the tradition of going to the cemetery and placing flowers at grave sites.
Not only is Memorial Day a time for families to come together and remember their love ones who have passed away, but the national holiday is also a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's military service.
President Lyndon Johnson on May 1966 officially declared Waterloo, New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day. Americans celebrate Memorial Day on the fourth Monday of the month of May. I believe that before we fire up the barbeque pits, Americans should take time out to remember those who lost their lives in the service of this country.
My dad and uncle served in the military. My dad continued to serve his country as a police officer. Americans must honor those who were willing to endure hardships and personal fears to defend this country so that we can live in peace.
On Memorial Day, we not only say thank you to all the brave men and women who died in the service of this country, but also honor those who are now wearing our country's uniforms and continue to serve on the front lines to provide us with freedom and safety at home.
I started this year's Memorial Day observance by watching President Barack Obama deliver his first Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery. The President was surrounded by the grave sites of countless war dead who had defended this country during the Civil War, both World Wars, Korean, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and other places. President Obama explained that on Memorial Day, Americans "pay tribute to those who forged our history but hold closely the memory of those so recently lost." The President proclaimed that "Even as we gather all across America, people are pausing to remember, to mourn and to pray. We honor U.S. soldiers who have died in war. But only if we understand the principles and ideals for which they died do we truly honor them. Love, freedom, dignity and sacrifice — these are the essence of Memorial Day. Together, they form the higher cause for which men have been willing to give their lives."
I was certainly inspired by the words of the president, but this year, for some unknown reason, I told my wife I was not going to fuel up the old barbeque pit. Instead, I spent a quiet day at home watching the Los Angeles Lakers get whipped on the basketball court by the Denver Nuggets. After the basketball game, I settled down at my computer to write this column.
In my view from the streets, I believe that Americans should not wait until Veterans Day and Memorial Day to honor the valor of veterans who served this country in the military. Americans should celebrate the military service of our enlisted men and women every single day throughout the year.
I confess that tears come to my eyes every Friday while watching the News Hour With Jim Lehrer on Channel 28. Each Friday, the News Hour program shows pictures and lists the names of veterans who have died in the service of their country during the previous week. Most service men and women who die in the defense of this country are in the prime of their lives, and I weep for their life sacrifice for the safety of this nation.
As Americans we must honor not only veterans who have given their lives in the service of their country but those who protect us every single second in the defense of our great nation.
My daily prayer is that God will continue to bless America.
Ronald Ellerbe is editor of Hub City News and columnist for LA Beez.
Photos from www.whitehouse.gov and army.mil flickr photostream
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