The below photo really brought the meaning of the day home to me and brought me to tears. Since the other graves do not have flags, it's probably not Memorial Day, but it is certainly a reminder that Memorial Day's impact extends far beyond just our fallen brothers- and sisters-in-arms. A combat death radiates pain and suffering to spouses, children, parents, friends, etc. of the fallen.
Full disclosure: From 1966 to 1968 I was in the USMCR as a Platoon Leader Candidate (Ground). I discovered a love for Chinese language in college, and it looked to me like the Corps did not particularly care about that, so I DORed in '68 a week before completion of training. I ended up spending 12 years as a Navy enlisted Chinese linguist (and then 13 as a cryptologic officer) and never was in much danger of getting shot at.
Full disclosure: From 1966 to 1968 I was in the USMCR as a Platoon Leader Candidate (Ground). I discovered a love for Chinese language in college, and it looked to me like the Corps did not particularly care about that, so I DORed in '68 a week before completion of training. I ended up spending 12 years as a Navy enlisted Chinese linguist (and then 13 as a cryptologic officer) and never was in much danger of getting shot at.
