On #Memorial Day, American #flags should be raised “to full staff briskly, then lowered to a half-staff position, where they will remain until noon,” according to the Farmer’s Almanac. If you wish to volunteer to place small flags or wreaths on the #graves of those who served, contact the local chapters of #veterans organizations such as Vietnam Veterans of America, American Legion or Daughters of the American Revolution. “The ritual of visiting family graves and memorials was never a morbid tradition,” the almanac says. “Rather, it was an annual act of #remembrance, as well as a chance to clean and decorate family memorials.”
Tag: remembrance
Make Memorial Day Meaningful
While most Americans see #Memorial Day as an excuse to kick back, cook out and watch a parade, make time to remember those who gave their lives in service, the Wounded Warrior Project says. Pay tribute to their memory by flying the #flag or placing flowers or wreaths on deceased service members’ graves. When it comes to #thanking a #veteran, remember that the holiday is reserved for those who lost their lives in conflict, so ask living veterans to have a “meaningful” Memorial Day and/or say the name of someone who made the ultimate sacrifice, the project says. “You can even say, ‘Today and always, I’m remembering [veteran’s name].’” #MemorialDay
Observe POW/MIA Day by Donating
Observing POW/MIA Recognition Day today can be as simple as writing a card to a former POW, visiting a veterans home or donating to a veteran organization such as the Vietnam Veterans Association (VVA). Helping veterans through VVA’s ClothingDonations.org is easy: Gather up any lightly used clothing and household goods you no longer need or want and call for a free, contactless #donation pickup. VVA will resell your donated goods to thrift and secondhand stores and use the proceeds to help fund veterans programs such as the ones that identify and local MIAs’ cremains and give them a proper burial.
Work Continues to Identify POW/MIAs
Work continues to locate and identify POW/MIAs buried as “Unknowns” in national cemeteries. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency provides the fullest possible accounting for missing personnel from past conflicts, coordinating with hundreds of countries and agencies around the world. Forensic genetic genealogy services can also offer families assistance in locating POW/MIAs and descendants; listen to the “Stories of Sacrifice” podcast to hear profiles of several service members located and commemorate National POW/MIA Recognition Day this year.
The Meaning of POW/MIA Bracelets
While the POW/MIA flag “reminds us to never forget our prisoners of war and missing in action,” says Military.com, bracelets were introduced in the 1970s as a more personal form of remembrance. They are still worn by the friends and relatives of Vietnam’s 725 POWs and more than 1,600 MIAs, as well as those remembering service members imprisoned or missing in action from other wars. Voices in Vital America (VIVA) “distributed nearly 5 million bracelets during the 1960s and 1970s to draw attention to the missing men,” says POW/MIA Families, which continues its work today.