Happy Memorial Day

Freedom Is Not Free

- Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

We usually go to visit Corey's Grandmother, Ruth, on Memorial Day. Her husband was a World War II veteran, and is buried in the cemetery there. They always have a nice Memorial Day service, and then we have fried chicken for lunch!

(L to R) Corey, Kevin & Addie, Connie, Ruth

Addie and her Daddie :)

(L to R) Corey, Eli, Kevin, Connie, and Ruth

Addie with her Great-Grandma Ruth

Addie had fun cuddling... for about 5 seconds!

...and then she was ready to get up and run around!

Now she's squirming!

But then when she got down she wanted to play with Grandma!

She found a stick she thought was pretty cool.

(L to R) Kevin, Ruth, Connie, and Corey

Addie & Grandma Connie

The cemetery has a flag for each of the veterans buried there that they put up for Memorial Day. It's quite a sight to see!

Eli trying to find his Grandpa's Flag

Poor Ruth trying to hold on to a squrmin' Addie!

Corey's Grandfather's Grave