Memorial Day 2006
06/03/2006
I spent this past Memorial Day surrounded by family in my wife’s hometown. Memorial Day is a very special day and is observed in high fashion in little Grafton, West Virginia with a huge parade. The parade is in honor of veterans, and this is very important to the people of West Virginia. I have never seen anything like it anywhere. Veterans are highly respected and often honored by the people of West Virginia.
The Memorial Day Parade in Grafton is the biggest social event of the year. It draws marchers and spectators from all over the West Virginia countryside and beyond. It is a time when families get together to honor those who have given so much to support the freedoms we enjoy. Buried in the National Cemetery in Grafton are heroes from every war in which Americans have fought, including the Civil War. Thornberry Bailey Brown, the first Union soldier to die in battle is buried in Grafton’s National Cemetery.
Memorial Day is also a time for families to come together, and that is what ours got to do. For the first time my daughters, Michelle and Meredith, Nancy’s daughter Jackie, all five of our grandchildren (Whoopee! We found out we have another due in January), our sons-in-law, Phil and Ken, Nancy’s brother and her parents were able to break bread together under one roof. Certainly not all the family, but more then we have had together in a while, and the first time for Michelle to visit Grafton. We had a ball.
The parade is one that befits small-town Americana. Some might think it is unsophisticated, even a little hokie but I love every second of it. Grafton is a town of maybe 2000 people and I think most of them were lining the streets of the parade route that day. In small-town parades, in case you have never had the pleasure, you get to see all kinds of local celebrities and groups marching by or riding on small floats as they meander along the parade route smartly. Every emergency vehicle in the county, it seemed, was in the parade, an Army band marched by as did the marching bands from the areas middle and high schools, the highlight being the Grafton High School Marching Band. Since the majority of the adults lining the parade route graduated from Grafton High School, the applause was deafening as they marched by. What parade would be complete without the ubiquitous Shriners and Masons with their scooters, go carts, clowns and gags? They were in this one, for sure. Kids by the hundreds, as each of the county’s elementary schools had a contingent of students in the parade. The Grafton High’s 2006 graduating class marched by wearing their bright blue gowns and caps - one young lady marched in flip-flops. We saw “Mini Beauty Queens” and pageant “Kings” dressed to the nines riding in convertibles giving their best royal waving gesture, baton-twirling lasses of all ages – some looked to be as young three-years old – dressed in their sequined cheerleader outfits with pom-poms or batons, veteran groups (American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Combat Wounded Veterans) and a few local politicians to boot. Of course, there were horses, but fortunately for most of the marchers and the spectators, they come almost last generally followed by some buckskin adorned moutainmen, firing muskets into the air – as a signal to hightail it out of town because the parade is over. We even got to see Randal McCloy, the miner who miraculously escaped death in the Slago mine disaster early this year. He and his wife were on a small float.
Me being the weenie that I am these days, found myself getting a little emotional as I watched with pride, taking in the spirit of the day and having all my very special girls by my side. I cannot define what that was about, but I was on the verge of tears a few times, and it did not go unnoticed. Michelle recognized my bout of emotion and let me know she had. Whatever it was, was genuine and from the heart. Being vulnerable is a gift I was given at M3E – http://www.millennium3education.com.
Anyway, this was, I think, about the sixth time I have had the privilege to view this extraordinary parade. I know the picture I have attempted to paint does not do justice to it. Even the photographs I have included do not give the visual I would like you to see. I wish that all of you could have been there to enjoy it with me.
And that is all I have to say about that.