#GoSilent to honor the fallen this Memorial Day

The more you know!

Retired Maj. Reuben H. Silverling, who served 39 years in the U.S. Army, said it was important to have public ceremonies to remind people that Memorial Day stands for more than sporting events, family barbecues and the unofficial start of summer. At 12 years old, his father decided this would be the year to show him and his siblings why dad gets a three day holiday from his job at Mayport Naval Station.

Crusaders for Veterans and the Memorial Committee of the Biloxi National Cemetery hosted the ceremony. Its origins date back to shortly after the Civil War: According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, May was chosen because it was the time of year where flowers would be blooming plentifully. “When the door was opened, it came out”.

“I just don’t want this generation to forget where we came from”, said Joseph Cronin, a Cold War veteran. “We got to be here today because of that”. Yakima’s Memorial Day Parade took place Saturday, and veterans groups have organized the placement of 1,600 American flags on the graves of veterans buried in Sunnyside and Outlook.

“Basically just to enjoy the nice weather, but the biggest thing is the memorial walk and remember those who’ve fallen before us and respect them and their families for what they have sacrificed for us”, said Steve Marquardt, Bismarck resident. Memorial Day, for many, is one of the happiest times of the year.

The playing of taps and a choir performance of “America the Beautiful” filled the air at Martin L. “Marty” Snook Park Tuesday morning, as the Joint Veterans Council of Washington County held its annual Memorial Day services. Nearly 100 years later, we are still searching for that peaceful world, but that does not diminish their sacrifice. All deserve our thanks and should be in our thoughts this Memorial Day. “We give them an article of the constitution, and that’s one of the programs that’s kind of fallen away, and we’re trying to revitalize that again”, Patnode said.

More than 500 people attended today’s ceremony, a ceremony for families to honor loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice.