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Carrying out a duty on Memorial Day

Marshall Korean War veteran Dale Schroeder looked down for a few moments at the headstone at his feet.

A small United States flag attached to the headstone on a metal star and pole was swaying with the strong breeze blowing through the Calvary Cemetery on Thursday afternoon.

He eventually looked up. The sun was shining on his Korea War veteran cap. In his view were dozens more U.S. flags — big and small.

It was a job well done again for the dozen or so volunteers from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars who show up every year just before Memorial Day to place the metal stars and flags at the headstones for U.S. military veterans at both the Calvary and Marshall cemeteries.

“Us legionnaires who are still alive, we feel it’s our duty to take care of our deceased. And it’s something we do every year. Our thanks to them for their service,” Schroeder said.

He took a piece of Kleenex to wipe some blood off one of his fingers. A small wound from drilling the metal stars into one of the headstones. But for Schroeder, it’s small price to pay for honoring those that served and died.

“It’s a job, but we are glad to do it. The other day we were drilling them in and it kept raining. Hopefully we will get it all done this afternoon.”

Like they did while serving their country, getting it done before the holiday weekend is never a problem. Because serving is always on their minds.

I couldn’t tell you how many barbecues and camping trips I have enjoyed on Memorial Day weekends. Sometimes we get caught up in the holiday without thinking of the real reason there is a holiday at this time of the year.

But the Dale Schroeders of our country are always there to remind us.

Remind us that Memorial Day was declared a day to honor those who died in service of the United States of America. According to usmemorialday.org, it was born out of the Civil War and was proclaimed by Gen. John Logan.

“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” Logan proclaimed.

Today, every state in the union recognizes the holiday. On Friday, Gov. Mark Dayton ordered all U.S. flags and Minnesota flags to be flown at half-staff at all state and federal buildings in the state of Minnesota, from sunrise until noon on Monday, May 29, 2017, in honor of those who have died while serving in the United States military.

I learned something when reading Dayton’s news release.

“The United States and Minnesota flags are quickly raised to the tops of the flagpoles, slowly lowered to half-mast, and then raised again to full height at noon. The time at half-mast is meant to honor American servicemen and women who have died for their country. Re-raising the flag is meant to symbolize the resolve of the living to carry on the fight for freedom so that the nation’s heroes will not have died in vain,” the release said.

On Thursday, I was also reminded of what duty is all about. Ken Persoon and Barry Andres were among those placing the flags at the Calvary Cemetery headstones.

“We want to make sure we respect the fallen,” Persoon said. “I just hope somebody does it for me.”

It’s a matter of duty for all of us to never forget Persoon and all the others who have served.

— You can follow Mike Lamb at Twitter@indymlamb

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