When I was a kid, ( late 50s early 60s), in the evenings before Memorial Day I went to all of the cemetery with my Parents to put a few flowers, real plants, on the graves of our dead relatives. While there we would often meet other relative or friends of theirs and visit for awhile.
I sometimes went with our neighbors to put flowers out on their relatives graves, they preferred to go in the after noon as they didn't like the cemetery in the evening, also their excursions usually finished with ice cream, which I really liked.
On Memorial Day itself there was a small parade and then speakers at the bridge where a woman from our street, who was in charge of the local VFW Auxiliary, would say a few words and then toss a floral arrangement into the water, for the brave men who had been buried a sea. She organized us kids to immediately there after throw the flowers she gave us into the water and stand still and silent in prayer as they floated away. I always wondered how many actually made it to the sea, which was a couple of States away.
I put flowers on my Fathers grave, he served in WWII, there was a flag holder, I went there early in the week,I cried, I wished they could be real plants, There were a few others placing flowers, and flags. It was very still.
My deepest thanks to all of the brave men and women who defended our country.
My deepest thanks to the families of all of the brave men and women who never came home
photo credit-http://www.etsy.com/shop/missgaylee
