16 | SUNRAYS MAY 2015
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As a retired Colonel in the Army Nurse Corps, to
me Memorial Day is an important holiday that re-
members those service men and women who gave
the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we and mil-
lions around the world enjoy today. I was deployed in
Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, so
I truly appreciate the sacrifices needed to keep our
country free. Today is a day to honor their memory,
their families and our great country. I am proud to
be an American! God bless America!
Christine Inouye
Memorial Day? So what? Why remember? So we can have a holiday?
No! So old soldiers, sailors and marines can be honored? No! (Although
all that is a part of it.) Rather, it is because remembering is critically
important, and we’re not good at it!
Remembering has always been difficult for people. Scripture tells us
over and over that the ancient Israelites had trouble remembering -
even with numerous admonitions commanding them to “remember.”
They kept forgetting. We are no different.
A recent YouTube clip showed a college student in the street asking
others simple questions about our country’s history: “Who won the civil
war? From whom did we win our independence?” Most people didn’t
know the answers - and they didn’t have gray hair to blame it on! As
philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the
past are condemned to repeat it.” There is much in the past that we
need to remember and pray will never be repeated!
In the United States, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone
before us. Many, many who went before us served, fought and died so
that we might continue to live and breathe in freedom. Memorial Day
is one attempt to help us remember - and remember with gratitude -
that “freedom isn’t free.”
Dave Carey
I
have been privileged, on two occasions, to visit the American Cemetery
in Normandy, the final resting place for about 19,000 men and women
who paid the price for all Americans at a time when our country was
in danger from the Germans, Italians, and Japanese. I could sense
and feel the bloodshed on Omaha Beach. I could imagine the fear my
family members and others must have felt as soldiers fought the war
from ships, were dropped by parachutes on to enemy soil, and made
bombing flights over Europe. It was a time in history when we were a
melting pot of people, with only one purpose: to preserve and save the
American experience as was defined by our American forefathers, who,
with great personal risk, put in motion the formation of the United
States of America.
Ralph L. Mason
Memorial Day ceremony and band concert
Concert: Sunday, May 24, 7 p.m., VMP
Ceremony: Monday, May 25, 9:30 a.m., VMP
The annual Memorial Day Ceremony, honoring the men and
women of our armed forces who have given their lives in service
to our country, will be held at the Veterans Memorial Plaza on
Monday, May 25. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will
include a guest speaker. Music will be provided by the 36th In-
fantry Division Band of the Texas Army National Guard and the
Village Elementary School Choir. Additionally, a fly over will be
performed by Falcon Flight, a Texas-based formation flying team.
The 36th Infantry Division Band from Camp Mabry in Austin
will also present a concert at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 24. The band
will perform with a variety of big band sounds and patriotic “flag
waving” tunes at the Georgetown-Williamson County Veterans
Memorial Plaza at Sun City. The public is invited to both events.
