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when I was a girl living in small Iowa towns, there were still a few Civil War veteran. I remember how we assembled each Memorial Day at the town cemetery to remember the veterans. Every living veteran present was acknowledged. My father (a minister) gave a sermon to honor those who had died in wars. The Civil War veterans were given special recognition.
My own great-grandfather traveled with, did reconnaissance and was shot while serving the Union Army in the Civil War. He was quite upset, however, because the other Civil War veterans did not want to recognize his service. The reason? He had never officially signed up. He had simply gone to the War with his widowed father. My great-grandfather was 12 when his father signed up.
Imagine -- a 12 year old boy on running reconnaissance on the front lines of the Union Army in the civil war. We cannot comprehend the sacrifices that ordinary Americans made in that terrible War. Memorial Day was a big day in our family and in our communities -- as it should be everywhere in America.
Memorial Day is a reminder of the horrors of war. It summons in me the commitment to do what I can to prevent my beloved country from ever fighting another war. Above all, it moves me to hope and pray that we never suffer another war in our own country.
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