Into the Elevator.....

First thing in the morning Fenway and I head through our door and into the elevator for the morning walk. Today, Memorial Day 2020, when the doors opened I was greeted with a colorful sign. One of our neighbors had his 95th birthday last week and he is a proud Veteran. His daughter made a sign commemorating his service and celebrating his grand daughter who is currently a member of the armed services. She invited building residents to share their family history as well.

After our walk, I printed out a short salute to my dad who served in the Navy in World War II. The only information he ever shared (that I remember) is that his ship was one of the first to land at Hiroshima after the bomb. He was sent ashore.....but never spoke about what he saw there. Dad died at age 49. The medical information provided at the time indicated that his disease was most probably the result of all the radiation he absorbed while on shore in Japan in his early 20's.

Dave woke and wrote a remembrance of his father who served in the Army in Europe. Part of many of well-known campaigns including Normandy, the Ardennes and in Rhineland, he, also, never talked about his time overseas. He died after a fall at the early age of 45.

So today our small elevator provides a space to salute a few of the veterans to be remembered on Memorial Day 2020. A day, this year, that's kind of gotten lost in the COVID-19 pandemic. No parade in town, no big gatherings at Milwaukee cemetaries to honor the dead.

We will just have small family memories floating through our brains as we enter our elevator today....a remembrance of our family members who served and perhaps a reminder to think of all the others who gave their lives in service to America....and who continue to serve today.

Thank you.