Editorial: Memorial Day: Different, yet much the same

This Memorial Day will be different than years’ past. While we will gather at the Veterans Memorial and Lutheran Cemetery in Brandon and at Pleasantview Cemetery in Valley Springs to honor those who fought to preserve our freedoms, there will be some noticeable differences.

People will be asked to distance themselves as we gather to honor our past and present veterans at the memorial site and the cemeteries.

In Valley Springs, there will be no program or guest speaker at the Legion Hall. And the catered lunch has been shelved this year, too.

But these measures are all being taken to assure the health and well-being of all Americans, yet gives us the opportunity to show decades of American veterans their well-deserved due respect. 

We should all make a determined effort to remember that Memorial Day isn’t about multiple rounds of golf or extended weekend stays at the lake cabin or beverages and hot dogs. It’s about remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice – some giving their lives, and all giving their faithful service to protect our country – so that we may all continue to enjoy the freedoms we so often take for granted.

Memorial Day will be different this year, but yet the same.