Residents from all around Grayson County have been showing they know the true meaning of Memorial Day by placing flags on the graves of fallen veterans.

And this Saturday, they're following it up with a parade to honor the county's veterans.

The National Holiday represents a day of national awareness and reverence, honoring those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values.

“Respect for veterans is a great thing,” said 89- year- old World War II veteran, Shelton Likins of Clarkson.

“You can not explain to people what we went through,” he said. “They bombed the boat when we were getting off when we landed in Italy during World War II. So many men died there.”

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed a national holiday on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan and was observed for the first time on May 30th when flowers were placed on the graves of the Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC.

The first state to recognize the national holiday was New York in 1873 with many northern states to follow shortly after.

The south refused to acknowledge the day and honored their dead on separate days until after World War I.

The holiday changed from honoring the fallen veterans of the Civil War to any veteran who died fighting for our country after WWI.

When asked what Memorial Day meant to her 10-year-old Rachel Patton of Brownsville responded, “it means cookouts and freedom.”

“Her great-grandfather was a prisoner of war in W.W.II, so we always have a special celebration for Memorial Day, ” added her mother.

Donna Franklin of Leitchfield was thankful to the veterans for the debt they paid to the country and the freedoms she enjoys.

“Memorial Day is a time to honor our veterans and those who lost their lives to give us the freedoms we have,” replied Franklin.

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” Moina Michael conceived an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war.

The Ladies Auxiliary from the American Legion Post 81 here in Grayson County will pass out the red poppies in all area businesses after the parade on Saturday.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. With many Americans nowadays forgetting the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored and neglected.

That is not the case in Grayson County. The fallen veterans of Grayson County are remembered not only by the parade on Saturday but the grave of every veteran is marked with a flag by members of the American Legion.

With over 2,000 graves to be marked, the Veterans, Ladies Auxiliary and Boy Scout Troops 631 and 135 began placing flags around May14th and continue right up until the last Sunday in May.

Katlynn and Kyler Bratcher along with their mom, Amy Skaggs, have placed over 40 flags this year.

“We do this to show respect for veterans,” said Skaggs, whose father and husband are both veterans. “This is the second year the kids have helped.”

“Its fun because I get to look for the names and graves and then I stick the flags in the ground,” said young Kyler.

Reporter

tdunn@gcnewsgazette.com