American Legion Auxiliary Unit 53 organized the The 2011 Memorial Day Program, held yesterday in the Veterans Plot of the Forest Lawn Cemetery. The guest speaker was the Honorable J. Howard Coble. The program included the presentation of floral tributes, singing, a reading of the roll of honor, and benediction. One of the most touching moments of the program, however, was when those who previously served bowed their heads in reflection as the Southeast High School JNROTC saluted those who gave their lives in service to country by firing rifles and and playing Taps.
Upon leaving the cemetery, we noticed a man in his lawn chair beside the grave of a loved one. Before the big movement of designing urban parks, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century by Downing, Olmstead, and the likes (here), cemeteries played more of a role in our leisure time outdoors. It was commonplace to spend an afternoon, or to have a picnic, in a cemetery. Today, cemetery visits are largely limited to military holidays and funerals. If you want to teach a young child about the meaning of Memorial Day, it is not too late to visit the Veteran's Section of Forest Lawn Cemetery. It is ablaze with American flags and red, white, & blue bouquets.
A classic shot for the day... bet it would look fine in b/w too.
Posted by: birdman | Monday, May 30, 2011 at 08:21 AM
Thank you birdman. We considered black and white but wanted a little red, white, and blue!
How is everyone else in America spending this holiday? Maybe you are at the beach and away from the Internet!
Posted by: Greensboro Daily Photo, NC | Monday, May 30, 2011 at 08:52 AM
Very poignant photo... simple and yet very telling. Have a great day.
Posted by: Ken | Monday, May 30, 2011 at 09:41 AM
Thank YOU for remembering to commemorate Memorial Day is honor to all who gave some and some who gave all!
Posted by: Madge | Monday, May 30, 2011 at 02:20 PM
Dad is buried at Mountain Home Cemetary in Johnson City, TN. I stop by from time to time for a visit. Some of the best times I have is there with him. He was Navy, WWII, the captain let him steer the boat on day...an LST...he steered right into one of Great Britains minfields! Last time the captain let him steer the boat!
Mom used to volunteer at the VA Hospital there, she would push Veterans in wheelchairs throughout the many tunnels that run between buildings. Right after she went into a nursing home we went and she was pushing this lady all over the place...and the lady did not want to be pushed!
Mom worked for Holston Valley Defense, Kingsport, TN...they made bombs and bullets better. She would put some dynamite and other 'stuff' on a metal plate...walk behind a curtain...detonate it...then write down how loud and how much force was felt! The US knew that to go into Berlin we would need the biggest and baddest bombs we could make. The day we went into Berlin the supervisors ran throughout the plants screaming..."We just went into Belin...and we helped!" Toward the end of the war they started working on 'something big'...they did not know exactly what. When the first atomic bomb hit Japan...all the supervisors ran through the plant screaming, "We just hit Japan with an A-Bomb...and we helped!"
Dad was Jack Hart, Mom is Nadeen Hart, they both drove taxis in Greensboro for many years.
Great photo!
Posted by: Jack Hart | Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 05:55 PM