Memorial Day Remembered...
As a Little Kid... I always spent Memorial Day with my Dad... we would get up early... really early 4am... and head to the cemetery in our "Old" Greens Van... It was Old... it ran good and it had our Classic Logo with Red Carnations hand-painted on the Side... I can still smell the inside of that truck... it smelled cold and wet... and fresh, and flower filled...We literally had 100's of bouquets to deliver... my Dad had a little black book with all the Cemetery lot numbers... and the Truck was filled with Cut Flower Boxes Full to overflowing with Bouquets... filled with Sweet William, Peonies, Glads and Carnations... the air was crisp.. the lawns were dew-laden... and the air was filled with the smell of flowers...Dad and I would start with a flashlight... but soon enough dawn would break... and we would do without the flashlights... I would fill a bucket with water from the spigots around the cemetery... the water was cold and somehow wetter... and Dad would place a vase... or pull one up from the Gravestone (many have them right in the stone)... and lay the flowers... next to it... my job was to fill the vase, place the flowers and remove the delivery tag... doing a double check to make sure everything was in order... and give the flowers a final fluff...My Dad was Fast... he could find the grave and get the vase ready faster than me... and he was always 10 steps ahead of me...he's amazing...I share that last fact... because my Dad NEVER let on... You see... My Dad is a Combat Wounded World War II Marine Corp Purple Heart Recipient... he's one of the oldest living WW II Veterans still around... and he's got some pretty terrific damage he's NEVER let on severe damage to his legs inflicted by a Japanese hand grenade... the doctors told my dad... (after he was hit by that Hand Grenade) that he would never walk again... and should get used to wheelchair...Well... those of you that Know Mel... know that he's Definitely NOT a Wheelchair candidate... and somehow... he just keeps going! Pain doesn't seem to be in his vocabulary!So Today is Memorial Day... Now...it's more the "First Day of Summer"... or the day reserved to "get the boat in the lake"... or "take a trip"... or just relax...it's not so much "Decoration Day" (as my Grandma used to call it)... but My Dad... still makes a trip or two to the local cemeteries... with the few remaining standing orders for Cemetery Flowers (they still have on the books at Greens Florist)...and with Flowers for our Relatives...I imagine the air is still crisp... the lawn is still filled with dew... and the air smells of Peonies and Sweet William... and as the sun slowly rises... there's a solitary Marine... putting flowers on the graves of friends and family...looking in his little black book....
My Sister and Mom recently had all my Dad's Military Awards recreated and framed... as a gift for Dad... and on a recent visit, I asked to see his Original WWII and Purple Heart Medal... he walked right to them... and pulled them out of a drawer... and showed them to me... PROUDLY!!!
On the Back... of the World War II Medal... the inscription reads..."Freedom From Fear and Want... Freedom of Speech and Religion"... Simple words from 1945... forever memorializing the reason why my Dad (along with so many others)... sacrificed his safety... and chose to fight for Freedom for us All!"Thank you" doesn't seem like quite enough... when a kid from a Nebraska Farm heads off to insure that generations to come will not fear or want... and enjoy the Freedom to say and believe what we choose... perhaps it's better said... like this... " I Love You Dad... Happy Memorial Day... I will ALWAYS remember!"