PD Editorial: A day to remember those who gave all

Today is the 150th anniversary of the first Memorial Day, and despite tradition and all practical appearances, the purpose of this holiday is not to recognize the contributions of the basic backyard grill or to take full advantage of local Memorial Day sales.

The purpose is not even to recognize veterans - although there's never any harm in not waiting until Veterans' Day to show appreciation for those in uniform and those who have served.

The intent of Memorial Day is to honor those who gave their lives in service to their country, our country, in order that the rest of us may have the freedom to enjoy our days - as well as our families, parades and barbecues - as we please.

Memorial Day traces its roots to May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of soldiers - Confederate as well as Union - buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington.

Although the South, at first, chose not to participate, Gen. John A. Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans group formed after the Civil War, proclaimed it as Decoration Day. But it wasn't until after World War I that Memorial Day became a truly national holiday, adopting its current name and theme of honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

Unfortunately, the solemn purpose of Memorial Day is often overlooked in the pleasures of a three-day weekend that unofficially marks the start of summer. Let's not let that happen this year.

Whether a soldier gives “the last full measure of devotion,” as Abraham Lincoln once described it, against a nation-state or an enemy undefined by borders, the sacrifice remains the same. Many of us would not be here if they had not committed to be over there - at risk of not coming home.

So, between today's barbecues and other holiday gatherings, we encourage readers to take some time to remember the more than 650,000 Americans who have died in battle since the Revolutionary War, with the number still growing on battlefields in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Fly the flag and, if you can, attend one of the many local ceremonies honoring the fallen.

One of our favorite local Memorial Day traditions is the Avenue of the Flags at Santa Rosa Memorial Park. Veterans and active-duty service personnel will be on hand for ceremonies that begin at 10 a.m.

Flags will mark hundreds of graves at Santa Rosa Memorial Park and other cemeteries in Sonoma County and across the state. Remembrances are planned at numerous locations, including ceremonies at 10 a.m. at Oak Mound Cemetery in Healdsburg and 11 a.m. at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park. Tours of veterans graves will be offered at the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery between noon and 2 p.m.

If you want to pay special tribute to locals who died in service to this nation, their names are listed on a monument outside Santa Rosa City Hall.

Remember, you don't need to be at a grave site to lay flowers - and it's all right to honor someone you never knew. It's what we have always done, and hopefully, will continue to do.

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