Poppy Time

Remember the fallen on Memorial Day

On Monday morning at 10 a.m. Goochlanders will gather on the Courthouse green to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of liberty.

Come early and bring a chair.

Get a crepe paper poppy from one of the lovely ladies of the American Legion Post 215 auxiliary. The poppies are distributed for donation, not sold. Dig deep; every penny is used to help the disabled veterans, who make the poppies, not factory workers in China.

Look at some of the monuments on the green. Goochland boys and girls have been marching off to war for a very long time. Some did not come home.

Paul Galanti, CDR USN (Ret.) will address the gathering. Having spent almost seven years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, he knows more about honor, patriotism and torture than all of today’s pundits combined. Galanti came home and went right back to being a good citizen making up for lost time.

It is far too easy to forget that Memorial Day is much more than the unofficial start of summer. We need to remember the cost of war and honor those who bought our freedom with their blood.


Today in known conflicts on the opposite side of the world and secret battles closer to home brave American troopers hold back the forces of darkness who would destroy our way of life. Because our troops voluntarily go into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, we can plan a picnic, shopping excursion or a trip to the beach without giving a thought to our safety.

Since Bunker Hill, when the first shots were fired in the cause of freedom, Americans have owed a huge debt to those who wrenched liberty from tyranny and keep its flame burning bright.

Memorial Day is not about the hate of war, but about the greatest love of those who gave their lives for others.

It is too easy to forget about forever empty seats at the Thanksgiving table; children whose lives will be forever changed by the loss of a parent and lives filled with promise that ended far too soon.

That is why we set aside this day to remember with love our fallen whose blood nourished the poppies of Flanders Field and those who came after to fight in our stead.

Take time before you hit the mall or the beach to remember and appreciate the cost of freedom and national security. Take time to give loving thanks and never forget the sacrifice of ordinary Americans whose duty and honor keep us safe every day.