I decided to honor Memorial Day this year by visiting some un-crowded cemeteries within a ten-mile radius of home. This was my first outing after two months of sheltering in place. It was a joy to be out in beautiful weather, and what a treasure-trove I found--headstones for soldiers from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, World Wars I & II, Korea, and Vietnam--veterans who had defended our country’s freedom and ideals for over two centuries.
Each person’s story was of course unique. But a cemetery on Memorial Day binds us together with a reminder of principles at the foundation of our country, of grief for those we have lost, of memories of happy days with those we have loved, and of dreams about our future.
That future surely will not be what we expected only months ago. But certain fundamentals remain. As we move through the next few months, we have a touchstone to keep us focused. We have worked through frightening and dangerous times in the past, and we will do so now.
Now and on future Memorial Days we will have new heroes to honor—those who have fallen fighting the pandemic—health care providers, essential workers, delivery people, and others who are protecting us and smoothing our way during these extraordinary times. As we work to support our newest “troops” and each other, we will continue to move forward, as we have done for generations.
Myron M. and John J. Fish, Civil War