Our Memorial Day photo for 2002 shows Old Glory flying at half-mast during a funeral for victims of a Japanese bombing raid on night of April 6, 1944 in Wab, Saidor, New Guinea. Our choice for a companion quotation is from Oliver Wendell Holmes' 1884 Memorial Day Address, "In Our Youth Our Hearts Were Touched With Fire":Such hearts ah me, how many! were stilled twenty years ago; and to us who remain behind is left this day of memories. Every year in the full tide of spring, at the height of the symphony of flowers and love and life there comes a pause, and through the silence we hear the lonely pipe of death. Year after year lovers wandering under the apple trees and through the clover and deep grass are surprised with sudden tears as they see black-veiled figures stealing through the morning to a soldier's grave. Year after year the comrades of the dead follow, with public honor, procession and commemorative flags and funeral march honor and grief from us who stand almost alone, and have seen the best and noblest of our generation pass away. close this box [ hit reload/refresh to display the text again ]
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