Greg Meyer
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- Joined
- Sep 27, 2001
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While you are gathered with family or friends or out fishing or just relaxing around home, remember for a moment why we have a Memorial Day.
Yesterday, an annual ritual with my wife's Women's Club (along with other local organizations), they placed flags on the graves of Veterans in Bluff City Cemetery. While putting out the flags, a very elderly woman came up to one of my wife's friends and asked if she could have a flag to place on her husband's grave. She stated that every year she had hoped that they would have placed a flag (they found out his name was not on the list, a list that gets one or two added every year); she wanted to make sure this year since she wan't sure how many more years she could get out to remember.
When Joanne's friend offered to take one to his grave, the woman told her the story.
She and the deceased veteran had married during the early days of WWII. He was killed in the Pacific Campaign sometime before the end of the war. They had had no children and as far as she knew (you'll hear why) she did not know if any of her deceased husband's family was around or alive. It seems that she remarried and had and raised a family of her own with her second husband (also a Veteran who is deceased and buried in another cemetery). She lost contact with her first husband's family as time passed. Her second husband used to accompany her to her first husband's grave on Memorial Day and other occassions. She has for over sixty years always remembered a part of her past and wanted him to have the public honor and recognition he deserved.
Together, my wife's friend and the widow, placed a flag on the Veteran's grave.
Always, never forget the sacrifice that so many made.
Yesterday, an annual ritual with my wife's Women's Club (along with other local organizations), they placed flags on the graves of Veterans in Bluff City Cemetery. While putting out the flags, a very elderly woman came up to one of my wife's friends and asked if she could have a flag to place on her husband's grave. She stated that every year she had hoped that they would have placed a flag (they found out his name was not on the list, a list that gets one or two added every year); she wanted to make sure this year since she wan't sure how many more years she could get out to remember.
When Joanne's friend offered to take one to his grave, the woman told her the story.
She and the deceased veteran had married during the early days of WWII. He was killed in the Pacific Campaign sometime before the end of the war. They had had no children and as far as she knew (you'll hear why) she did not know if any of her deceased husband's family was around or alive. It seems that she remarried and had and raised a family of her own with her second husband (also a Veteran who is deceased and buried in another cemetery). She lost contact with her first husband's family as time passed. Her second husband used to accompany her to her first husband's grave on Memorial Day and other occassions. She has for over sixty years always remembered a part of her past and wanted him to have the public honor and recognition he deserved.
Together, my wife's friend and the widow, placed a flag on the Veteran's grave.
Always, never forget the sacrifice that so many made.
