This year, on Monday, May 25, we will commemorate Memorial Day in Lawrence and all across the country. It’s a National Holiday first established to pay homage to Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War and later on, it was expanded to include all who died in any war or military action. It’s a day to pay tribute and honor those men and women who had relinquished their own well-being and that of their families, for the safety of our country and their fellow citizens.
For us immigrants who had found refuge in this great country, especially those who had been living under dictatorial governments, where human lives are worth less than nothing, the observance of Memorial Day is very important, especially when so many people confuse the real meaning of the holiday with picnics, trips to the beach or party all night “because there is no work tomorrow.”
This coming Monday, you can do all of the above, but reserve some of your morning time to pay tribute to the men and women who offered their lives so you and your family can live and prosper in this country in peace. The date is at 9:00 AM at the Bellevue Cemetery, one of the oldest and finest cemeteries in the country, where the remains of the first Lawrencian casualty of the Civil War are kept besides many others from WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam Iraq and Afghanistan.
Just go there and say, “Thank you!”
