Those pictures were heartbreaking. But this day is heartbreaking in and of itself. In childhood I recall Memorial Day as quite solemn. Our family gathered but 3 aunts who had lost sons always cried silently. That’s what sticks in my head. We all were there to love and comfort one another over the dead. I was too young to remember the cousins killed in action but I’ve never been able to embrace the “3 day family fun weekend.”
My family never even mentioned Memorial Day. They were ... ultra liberal to the maximum. My father almost went to Normandy for D-Day but was held back to do office work since he could type. He never, ever talked about his experiences in France and Germany. I wish I had asked him. He was a very difficult man.
Now my heart cries for those who have lost loved ones, those who suffered crippling injuries, and those who lost their lives protecting our country. Whether in so-called “good” wars or “bad”, they did their duty.