Memorial Day - 2015

    When I was a little girl, I remember walking home from school in Royersford, Pennsylvania,  and noticing the Blue Star or Gold Star banners hung in the windows of several homes.  I asked my parents what that meant.  Dad said, “The Blue Star means that the family has someone serving in the Armed Forces in a war or hostility.  The Gold Star means that the family lost a member ".

    Years later, as a member of our high school marching band, I was proud to march on Memorial Day, down Main Street, then across 7^th Avenue, and up Walnut Street to Fernwood Cemetery.  Along with the Boy Scouts waving their little flags, the local fire companies, and other organizations, I helped honor those who had served their nation.  The Boy Scouts put an American flag on the gravesite of every American soldier from the Revolutionary War to the current day. 

    Then the ceremony would start, hands would cover hearts and eventually taps would echo throughout the cemetery.  Tears would slip down the faces of many of the attendees.   After the ceremony, the band would march out of the cemetery silently, to the cadence of a single snare drum.  When we returned to the site of where the parade began, I remember Nelson’s Dairy would provide ice cream “Dixie cups” with little wooden spoons for everyone.

    A few years ago my sister, Kathy Savage and I were visiting New Holland in Lancaster County. We noticed banners hanging from the light poles on the main street.  The banners contained the faces, names and dates of veterans of their town, past and present.  What a wonderful way to honor their veterans!  As far as you could see, up and down the street, the faces of people from every military service, every war, every conflict, were on banners for all to see.  Kathy and I said to each other, wouldn’t that be great if Royersford had a similar program for the veterans in our hometown? 

     Earlier this year, I was in my hometown.  Kathy took me to see the banners  adopted by the Royersford Borough Council.  It was heartwarming to see not only my Dad’s face on a banner, but so many local heroes, as well.

  

                                   (Our Dad, Tech Sgt William W. Randall, WWII, US Army)

    My sister had paid a fee to have Dad’s photo on the banner for a specified period of time.  I was happy to see that she had honored Dad in this way.  Now everyone could see the man we loved and have been so proud of all these years.   Dad would have been proud, too, to see so many comrades honored in this way.

    There were other “faces” on the banners that I recognized and I hope that other families will look into this program and support it.  I think it would be wonderful if every town, every city in America would have a similar program and honor its veterans, past and present in this manner.  Seeing these faces every day makes their sacrifices a bit more real. 

    I now live in “military city USA”, San Antonio, Texas.  Memorial Day, as well as every day is special in our city for our military members.  The young military greet the old veterans; Vietnam Vets hug each other and say, “welcome back, Brother”.  Boy Scouts and military members put flags on the graves at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.  There will be parades to honor those surviving members of World War II and other wars.  Time and time again taps will be played and tears will flow for the loss of those we love and will never forget.  Because, after all, it is Memorial Day. 

    NOTE:    This year I would like to give a special thanks to the brother of a classmate at Spring-Ford Senior High School.  Daniel Dolby was in my graduating class.  His brother, SP4 David C. Dolby was awarded the Medal of Honor for service in South Vietnam on May 21, 1966.  To David, our heartfelt gratitude.  To David’s family, no words can thank you enough for his sacrifice.