23,863 flags, waving in the breeze

I'm listening to the office chatter this morning about parades, backyard BBQ's, yardwork, and trips taken over the weekend. I'm thinking about a discussion Jeremy and I had yesterday morning how we want to teach Jacob that Memorial Day is more than a day for BBQ, boats, parties, and an extra long weekend. Those things are okay and we did some of that too but, we wanted to remember the real meaning behind this day.

We started with a parade in downtown Allegan. All three of us sporting our red, white, and blue! I felt out of place, I tell you, I think we were the only ones! Jacob clapped loudly for the Veterans as they marched past us. I was so proud! Though he didn't have nearly the same excitement for them as he did for the Allegan Fire District trucks!!!

Shaun led in the aerial ladder truck and Jacob went crazy! "Shaun! Shaun! Shaun!" Next, was Bruce, the chief and Jacob's new best friend, in the District's new pumper. Jacob was waving big! Bruce stopped the whole parade and waved Jacob to come out to give him a high-five! After Bruce, came the Rescue Truck, a water tanker, the Ambulance, and the last police car. Jacob cried when the parade was over.

After the parade, we picked up some flowers, a flag, and Grandma Harper for a trip to Fort Custer National Cemetery where Jeremy's grandfather (Grandma's Daddy) rests.

IF you have never been to a National Cemetery on Memorial Day or Veteran's Day, I urge you to do so. In this cemetery, the headstones are flat to the ground to ease in maintenance, so on a normal day, it looks like sections and sections of grass. On Memorial Day, it's a field upon field of American flags. Flags in honor of a man or woman's service to our country. The effect, the impact, the reality in numbers (23,863 to be exact), is breathtaking. Picture that number I just gave you, as flags waving in the breeze. Like this. This cemetery also has The Avenue of Flags, a row of 152 flag poles along the main road of the cemetery, as well as an additional 50 flag poles, one for each state flag, in a semi-circle at the road end. It is an amazing view. I will post some picks on Flickr tonight. (I haven't downloaded anything from the D60 yet!)

Grandma placed flowers for Grandpa/Great-Grandpa Coleman. My Jacob decided to leave him his flag. Though the moment that stole my heart - we told Jacob to tell Brampa good-bye, and my son, my precious, sweet, little boy, lay down on the grass, on his tummy, and kissed the grass by the bottom corner of the headstone and said "Buye Brampa!" One of those moments to be forever etched in my heart.

I hope to make this an annual visit. I hope to keep the true meaning of Memorial Day as a valuable lesson to us every year. Sadly, the number of interments at Fort Custer will have grown by next year and there will be many more flags. I hope my son learns to respect the lives of the men and women that fought and died for his freedom as well as those fortunate to have served this our country without seeing combat. I hope we can teach him the value and the meaning behind the flags.