Memorial Day Activities
Traditionally on Monday, DeMolays go participate in parades, visit cemeteries and pay respect to our honored dead who gave their lives in defense of our freedoms.
There are a number of ways to honor Memorial Day this year.
1) Visit www.va.gov/remember The Veterans Administration has created an online memorial way that allows you to honor those who gave their lives in defense of its honor. Thank you to “Dad” Rick Chandler, HLOH for this resource and information.
2) Watch a Virtual Parade.
The National Parade will be done virtually here: https://www.americanveteranscenter.org/avc-events/parade/ Some communities are doing an online parade check your local city or town.
3) Participate in a virtual 5K or other athletic event, they are several to choose from on active.com:
https://www.active.com/search?keywords=memorial+day&include_virtual_events=1&location=Everywhere&category=Activities&daterange=All+future+dates
4) Research DeMolays or Senior DeMolays who have given their lives in defense of the nation:
This is Br. Jason Meyer, a DeMolay brother of ours from Michigan,
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jason-meyer.htm
This is Br. Tristian Aitken, a DeMolay Brother of ours from Pennsylvania https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-capt-tristan-n-aitken/256565
They are buried next to each other down in Arlington Cemetery
Br. Lance Sijan, a DeMolay brother of ours from Wisconsin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Sijan
Lt. Ed Peterson, a brother of ours from Colorado
https://www.peterson.af.mil/News/Article/328298/tragic-accident-gave-base-its-name/
There are many more out there
5) Take time to learn about a battle and why it was important. When we are in Gettysburg for MATOC we hear from young men who learned something new by being there.
https://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm Gettysburg
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/saratoga Saratoga and the defeat of Burgoyne
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/oriskany Oriskany
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/yorktown Yorktown
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/antietam Antietam
https://www.nps.gov/pevi/learn/historyculture/battle_erie_detail.htm Battle of Lake Erie
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pacific-major-battles/ battles of the Pacific
https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1944/overlord.html D Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Battles_of_the_Iraq_War_involving_the_United_States has an entire resource on War in Iraq
6) Tune in for a Memorial Day Virtual event:
Gold Star Mothers https://www.goldstarmoms.com/memorial-day-2020.html
Arlington Cemetery: https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Media/News/Post/10816/National-Memorial-Day-Observance
7) Talk about Memorial Day with your family, about service, about sacrifice, and what the day means to you and why it is important.