Monday is the annual observance of Memorial Day.
It is time set aside for the remembrance of the men and women who have died in the service of their country, particularly in battle or from wounds suffered in battle.
Yes, the three-day weekend will give many of us the chance to take our first extended outing of the warm season or to gather with family and friends for a cookout while social distancing.
But let’s not forget the real reason that we’ve been celebrating Memorial Day since May 1868 (back then, it was called Decoration Day).
By any name, the day began as a time when people, especially in the South, visited cemeteries to decorate the graves of those who had given their lives during the Civil War. It later grew to encompass the dead from all wars.
In Hancock County, that includes the dozens of people who have died in service to their country in times of war since World War I.
The list includes Army Pfc. Ben H. Davis, who was killed in France a month before the end of World War I; Pfc. Paul T. Clark of the Army Air Corps, who was believed captured and killed by the Japanese in the Philippines in July 1942 in World War II; and Army Sgt. James M. Conger, who was believed captured and killed by Chinese forces during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in November 1950, early in the Korean War.
Traditionally, many cities and towns had parades on Memorial Day as a way of remembering the sacrifices of so many Americans. Most of those parades have fallen by the wayside, although many veterans groups still set aside time on Memorial Day to remember the fallen. That’s good.
Despite COVID-19-related restrictions, observances will be held in Hancock County. The main ceremony will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Park Cemetery in Greenfield, where a platoon of volunteers erected 835 flags last weekend to honor veterans who have died. Ceremonies also will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 24, at the Veterans Memorial in Sugar Creek Township Park in New Palestine; and at 11 a.m. Monday in Gravel Lawn Cemetery in Fortville. Thanks to members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts for making these observances possible.
If you can’t attend a service, find a few minutes over this busy weekend to pause and remember those who paid the ultimate price for the freedom of us all.
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