A warm, gentle breeze kept hundreds of American flags waving over countless grave markers in the Veteran’s section of Greenwood Cemetery in Virginia Monday morning as a crowd gathered, young and old, veteran and civilian for the city’s annual Memorial Day Program. The sight wasn’t unique to Virginia, with similar ceremonies held in cemeteries and veterans halls across the country to remember and pay respects to the 1.3 million U.S. Service members who were killed in the county’s 11 major conflicts and more than a hundred smaller actions over the county’s 250 year history.
TAPS was played and a rifle salute broke the stillness of the air before families wandered among the gravestones reading names and remembering those who have passed
Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971 but its history goes back much farther. It was first recognized on May 30 1868 formalizing what was then known as Decoration Day in honor of the soldiers who died in the Civil War.
Hibbing has a different take on the day but no less solemn. A program is held in the Memorial Building featuring music from the city band and singer Bill Buchwitz along with a memorial address, prayers, laying of the POW/MIA wreath and a rifle salute outside.
While Memorial Day for many, marks the unofficial start of summer and countless cook outs to celebrate. There are still plenty of people who make the annual trip to the local cemetery to stand quietly for a few moments, hold a salute during TAPS, and whisper a quiet thank you to those who came before them before welcoming the summer season with a full embrace.
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