Tube City Almanac

May 23, 2014

What Memorial Day Means

Category: Commentary/Editorial || By

Editor's Note: McKeesport's Memorial Day Service will be observed at Memorial Park on Lysle Boulevard at 10 a.m. Monday, with an additional observance at the LaRosa Boys & Girls Club, 901 Ravine St., at 11:15 a.m. There will not be a parade, but the city is holding a "Patriotism Parade" this fall instead.

White Oak's Memorial Day parade will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. The parade will follow the normal parade route.

. . .

Memorial Day is a day of observance, a chance to honor those service members that died while in the military service.

While some people see it as a long weekend or the unofficial "start of summer" with parades, cookouts and fireworks, and generally having a fun time, I would like to ask you to do a few things this weekend that I think will help you understand and appreciate more than you do now of Memorial Day:

  • Watch this three-minute video from the History Channel: www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history

  • At 3 p.m. on Monday, have a "Moment of Silence" for those service members who have died while in the military.

  • Be thankful for the military members that walk amongst us who have survived their time of service. Many of us know veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and this can be a difficult time for some. If you have Facebook, check out the Veterans PTSD Project.

Be safe, have a good time but remember our brothers and sisters who are fallen. God bless.

Joe Ukasik is a Marine Corps and U.S. Navy veteran and a member of the Tube City Community Media Inc. board of directors.






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