Small Town Memorial Day...

Okay. I've been meaning to post this since last Thursday, but life intervened...

Went to the town Memorial Day ceremony last Thursday (why Thursday? I have no idea...). Brought my son to be with the Scouts (Boy and Cub) so he could learn what Memorial Day is about.

It's a small ceremony, by present-day spectacle standards. The head of the VFW opens the ceremony with the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem (my job, of course, was to remind the Cub Scouts when to keep on their hats, when to take them off, and when to put them back on...)

Next we have the winner of the "What Memorial Day Means to Me" contest from the local high school read her essay (interesting footnote 1: They've been doing this since I went to the school some 20-mumble years ago. Interesting footnote 2: My 8^th grade submission, a poem, was submitted in the top 2 from my grade).

After this, the high school band plays a John Philips Souza march; a current serviceman gives a short speech, then the band plays another song. Then there's a 21-gun salute from town veterans (using, the gun nut in me couldn't help but notice, a mixture of M1 Garands and 1903 Springfields).

The ceremony closes with the widow of the recently-deceased VFW head laying a wreath on the town memorial to those from our town who have served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam (plans are underway to add Gulf Wars I & II).

After the ceremony was over, I took my son to the monument (because of inclement weather, the ceremony was held in the firehouse garage) and gave him a quick overview of what it meant (try explaining the concept of war to a 7 year old. Really). I then pointed out the names some cousins who served in Korea and Vietnam. He was impressed to see his last name on the monument.

What was nice to see was the respect for the current and past veterans. When the current serviceman finished his story, the entire crowd got to its feet and applauded heartily. No one walked out. No one heckled. No one refused to say the Pledge. While those arguments have their time and place, and certainly must be offered in a free society, it was refreshing to see a level of civility that's sorely lacking in current politics (the moron from Fox News commenting about Obama/Osama is a perfect example).

That is all.