Tomorrow is Memorial Day.
In my family, among many others, this is a special day...a holiday to prayerfully remember all the men and women who have sacrificed so much for this country of America...sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, daughters, sisters, mothers, and wives...
All have given some, and some have given all.
I hope everyone will take the time wherever you are to take a moment and to not only remember the fallen, but take a moment to say a prayer for the ones those fallen have left behind, and most importantly that you will take the time and the opportunity to thank a Veteran for their service and welcome them home.
For those of you in the greater Portland, Oregon area I would encourage you to attend the service that will be held at the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 10 am PST tomorrow. The Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located at Washington Park across from the Metro Park Zoo, 400 SW Canyon Road. The ceremony will include a reading of the 801 soldiers of Oregon who paid the ultimate price during the Vietnam War, a 21-gun salute, and fly over. And most importantly, from my perspective, the featured speaker will be author, and my mother, Karen Spears Zacharias.
Due to some circumstances beyond my control I will unable to attend services in Washington, DC this year, however, if you are in the area there I would encourage you to make your way down to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall for the 1pm EST ceremony.
I will be here in Williamsburg for the day and will be attending the Memorial Day Commemorative Program here at Colonial Williamsburg at 10am EST. The program will remember all those who died while serving their country Colonial Williamsburg's Fifes and Drums will lead the procession. This 45-minute service begins in front of the Governor's Palace, which served as a Continental Army field hospital during the 1781 siege of Yorktown. A wreath will be placed at a plaque marking the graves of the soldiers, prayers will be offered and the militia will fire musket salutes. The procession will then advance to Bruton Parish Church, where a wreath will be offered to a church representative who will lead prayers in memory of those veterans interred in the churchyard. Finally the procession will advance to the French military gravesites near Providence Hall to recognize the aid of the French Allies in the siege of Yorktown.
Hopefully you will be able to attend one of these ceremonies, or ones similar to these across the country wherever you may be. But if not please take a moment wherever you are and remember the reason for the holiday. To all the Veterans and the families of the fallen please know that I am thankful for all of you and you will be in my thoughts and prayers.
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