Memorial day

[OH Osthaus]

As a little boy, I followed Dad to the local cemeteries, on the evenings leading up to Memorial Day

A couple church yards - one good sized town cemetery and several little family and cross road burying plots, and learned a lot while he placed small flags a dozens of stones- from the Rev War one just a quarter mile up the road from our house ( I used to stop at that one often when on the way to the one old lady's sun porch that served as a library and bookmobile stop to get another history book) to Korean War casualties.

I heard a lot about what we were doing and why. Then on Memorial day I would get up early with Dad and Grandpa, them in their American Legion uniforms along with other men from town and stand at attention, listen to a prayer and three rounds each from the Springfields they carried. Then back in the cars and on to the next - it took much of the day - but it was what the day was for- we weren't going to a picnic

it was a somber day - even to a child. I understood there were war dead there and that the day was for, but we honored as well those veterans whose time had finally come to join their former comrades after a long life the other did not get to enjoy.

hopefully - on this, Dad's first Memorial Day on the receiving end of one of those little flags - hopefully there is some other little boy and or girl standing behind their Dad and learning what debt this country owes and can never repay.