Robyn Kuznik
2021-2022 National Hospital Ambassador
âThe muffled drum’s sad roll has beat the soldier’s last tattoo; No more on Life’s parade shall meet That brave and fallen few. On Fame’s eternal camping-ground, Their silent tents are spread, And Glory guards, with solemn round, The bivouac of the dead.â
Bivouac Of the Dead, by Theodore O’Hara
Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while in military service. In observance of the holiday, many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and volunteers often place American Flags on each grave site at national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time.
In the month of May, we will attend Memorial Day remembrances throughout our nation to honor those men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country. One Memorial Day that comes to mind is when I had the opportunity to visit the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall. To be able to locate that family member or hometown hero and sketch their name for their loved one. If the wall comes to your town, take a moment to visit and thank them for their service and sacrifice.
The Flower of Remembrance
In Flanders Fields was written by World War I Colonel John McCrae, who was a surgeon of Canadaâs First Brigade Artillery. He expressed his âgrief over the row on row of graves of soldiers who died on Flandersâ battlefield, located in a region of western Belgium and Northern France.â (US Department of Veterans Affairs, The Flower of Remembrance, John McCrae, 1915)
Today, veterans at VA medical facilities and veteransâ homes help continue to assemble âBuddyâÂź Poppies, which are distributed by VFW and other veteransâ organizations throughout the nation.
Reach out and visit veterans in VA and non-VA facilities to present them with a âBuddy⟠Poppy and share the story about Flanders Field and the story of the Flower of Remembrance.