A Day of Remembrance

Memorial Day War Memorial in late afternoon light
Muskingum County World War II/Korean War Memorial Zanesville Ohio

Family members plant flowers, trim grass, pull a few weeds, decorate graves of loved ones.

One time Mary and I scrubbed lichen off the granite with our toothbrushes. I saw a watering can hang from  a spigot, a metal pipe in the ground. Boy Scouts place American flags by white stone veterans’ graves.

I remember when Bill played taps and as the clear notes sounded, the wind kicked up, blew swirls of dust and leaves, the sky got dark. And we all felt  a shivering chill.

Each helmet  bears a soldier’s name.