By Beth Groundwater
I'm going to deviate from writing about writing today to observe today's important national holiday--Memorial Day. Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day was first observed in 1868 in the United States when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. To learn more about the history of Memorial Day, go HERE.
Since then, US soldiers have perished in numerous wars, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq War, and the Afghanistan War. Regardless of whether you support US involvement in these conflicts or not, I hope you'll join me in supporting those who gave up their lives in these wars and in supporting their families. We Midnight Ink authors write about fictional murder as entertainment--to give readers a puzzle to solve. But the killing of young men and women in global conflicts is not something to make light of.
Memorial Day and Veteran's Day have a special meaning for me since my father served in the Vietnam War during the dangerous year of the Tet Offensive. My family is very grateful that he made it home alive. But some of his friends and fellow navigators and pilots in the US Air Force did not. As a child, I knew the wives and children of some of those brave men and saw the heartbreaking sorrow they went through when their husbands and fathers didn't return.
I hope at 3:00 PM your local time today all of Inkspot's readers will join me in the "National Moment of Remembrance." Take a moment from your barbecues, picnics and holiday celebrations to pause in silence and remember and thank those who gave their lives for us. For more ideas on how to observe this important holiday of remembrance and thanks, go HERE.
