Thanks Al

On Fri, May 22, 2009 at 6:24 AM, Al Knoll <anasasi@gmail.com> wrote:

> I send this out from time to time.
>
> Here's something that will make your Memorial Day a little more memorable.
>
> Buy a dozen or so red carnations.   Get that old  6 inch screwdriver
> out of the toolbox.  Fire up that 20 year old Vanagon and drive to
> your nearest National Cemetary. You can find  the locations on the
> web.   If you have never visited a National Cemetery before, it will
> likely be a humbling, emotional experience so you should  be prepared.
>
> Make it a family event if you like, tell the kids or the grandkids
> that you're taking the vanagon to a special place before the usual
> family festivities.  Tell them that they are the flower children, and
> you will be looking for special stones.
>
> At the cemetary there are row on row of solemn white stones.  Each
> has the name of the veteran or veteran's family member on it.
> You are looking for the special stones, those whose inscriptions
> indicate that the veteran was killed in combat.   At most cemetaries
> each grave will have a small flag and many of these fallen combat
> soldiers will have flowers at their graves.  Pass reverently by those
> graves,  you are looking for a  combat veteran whose grave has no
> flowers.   At each of these graves you can use the screwdriver to make
> a small hole in the  grass and place one of those hardy carnations in
> the the sod.   Think for a moment about this particular fallen soldier
> and  remind yourself that you, a stranger, remembered them on this
> memorial day.   You will run out of flowers before you run  out of
> stones.
>
> Before you leave, explain to your family what these veterans did and
> why the freedoms you enjoy today were paid for by the strangers
> beneath the stones.
>
> Should anyone ask, " Where have all your flowers gone?" you can reply
> "gone to the graveyard every one".
>
> Al Knoll c. 2000
> MAAGie 61-63 Proudly Served
>

--
Jake

1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"

Crescent Beach, BC

www.thebassspa.com
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