Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawai’i, a World War II veteran, was one such person.
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“I would ask you when you look at these headstones or when you go to monuments in place all around this country with names carved in it, (remember) those are people who gave their life for us, and they were someone’s loved one”.
For decades, Memorial Day was “a solemn day of mourning (and) a sacred day of remembrance to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms”, as the nonprofit usmemorialday.org aptly states.
Approximately 195 members make up American Legion Post 156, with the mission to serve veterans and the community, Drinkwater said.
“If you have any sense of history, you’d never do this”, Oscars said.
A congressional act in 1971 then made it a national holiday, and shifted the day of celebration to the last Monday of the month of May. It’s a small sacrifice from your Memorial Day fun to thank those who have sacrificed a lot more. They say it’s only fitting that Memorial Day should stand out, regain its significance no matter what day of the week.
Bands from Huntley Middle School, Clinton Rosette Middle School and DeKalb High School provided the festive music, while Scout groups, local firefighters and police and veterans’ groups marched.
Like many others lining the parade route on Main Street, the Heims come to remember servicemen and women who are gone and those who are serving now.
Earl Hansen of DeKalb was happy to see the large turnout.
“This needs to be done”.
“They were young, they were innocent, they were noble and they were fearless”, Hassler said. “This is very emotional for me”. Loggins comes every year to find her brothers name on the wall of honor. At mid-day, it is raised again to the full position, symbolically raising the memories of the dead and renewing a commitment to the continued fight for liberty.
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“Too many people celebrate the day without more than a casual thought to (its) objective and meaning”, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War writes at the site.
