Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us here in the USA. I'm hopeful that all my non-military friends and non-veteran friends will remember to take a few minutes out of their National Holiday weekend to give thanks for their freedom.  Take the time to visit the graves of those that fought and died for our freedom, maybe place a flag in remembrance of their sacrifices too.

When I was a kid my family and I would travel to a small cemetery in Essex County, NY where we would place flags and flowers on our families graves.  Many of my ancestors fought and died for our freedom.  Pierce, Wolcott, Gladd, and Tyrrell were just a few of the surnames on my ancestors grave stones.  One of my ancestors, Oliver Wolcott, signed the Declaration of Independence.

This country has always been something that my family has fought to keep free.  I'm proud of my heritage.  I'm proud of my husband who is enlisted in the US Army.  I'm proud to know so many friends that have also fought and served.

As an adult, while I still lived upstate NY, I would go to the cemetery alone and place flags and flowers on the graves.  On one particular trip I took my camera so that I would have the photos as a remembrance of what they gave so that I could live free.

Here are just two of those photos:

GEORGE F. GLADD
NEW YORK
MECH. 71 INF. 11 DIV
JULY 6, 1940

FREDERIC A. GLADD
A1C  US AIR FORCE
KOREA
JAN 6 1934 - JUL 29 1975