Did you remember Memorial Day yesterday?

From the 16 Mile Back up on the Far Eastern Shore of Maryland

Hey ,

So… yesterday was Memorial Day in the US. A day where we are supposed to remember those who died in service to our country.

I say ‘supposed to’ because I seriously doubt that any of the occupants of the 1000’s of cars headed home from the beach in a 16 mile back up was actually reflecting on the meaning of the day.

For context: There is exactly one road to the Atlantic Ocean Resorts in Maryland & Delaware that all of Baltimore, Washington, DC and Northern VA use EVERY weekend. It is a 3 lane highway (highway in the loosest sense of the word) that drops to 2 lanes to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge which is 4.3 miles long.

Which is why I typically do not leave my house on the weekend, as that highway zips through my town.

They were sunburned, exhausted and just wanted to get home. Probably had a car of cranky kids, equally sunburned and exhausted.

Nary a thought about the meaning of the day. Just beaches, BBQ’s and pool openings.

Now before you think I am getting all high-n-mighty, I did think about my family members who were in the armed services, though none died in battle.

My grandfather on my mothers side was a Colonel in the Lithuanian Army in WW1 and WW2, captured by the Nazi’s at the beginning of the war and again by the Soviets towards the end of WW2. Was in a gulag for years before being released.

My grandfather on my fathers side was a Captain in the US Army. In 1916, his regiment chased Pancho Villa out of New Mexico, back into Mexico (long before there were any talks of walls) during the Mexico Border War.

Thankfully, I don’t know anyone killed in a war. Unless of course you consider 9/11 a war. I did know employees of the restaurant at the World Trade Center; Top of the World, and our group secretary’s husband died in the Pentagon attack.

9/11 enraged me.

Driving to my home in Baltimore from work in Northern VA was surreal. No one on the highway, but many military attack helicopters in the air. and I had no idea the people I knew had died that day.

So yesterday, as I smoked my brisket and did some chores around the house, I did think about the people I knew that are now gone.

If you forgot to remember people you knew (or even people you never knew), it’s ok.

Remember them today.

Vance