Memorial Day

This was posted on a seldom read board:
Personally I do not think of Memorial Day as a holiday, but as it's name implies a day of remembrance.
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE.
Dedicated to the Scotch Lads Resting in France.
By J. Wesley Patterson of Amesbury.
"Somewhere in France” his letters read,
Somewhere in France, we know not where,
But we know our laddie was far awa’
That out lives were lonely, our hearts were sair.
When the King's call came for volunteers
Our laddie, sae brave, was of the first To offer himself;
though it broke our hearts,
We gave him freely but feared the worst.
Somewhere in France, sae strong and brave,
Where danger was thickest our boy was there;
For king and country he faced the foe,
Somewhere in France we knew not where.
When German hordes came rushing on
With poisonous gas and booming gun,
There fell amid the hellish din
One of auld Scotland’s bravest sons.
A German bullet pierced his heart
He fell; his live-blood stained the sod;
From somewhere in France our ain brafe boy
Was taken hame to dwell wi’ God.
From somewhere in France our noble lad
In nameless grave unmarked by stone,
Shall sleep until the Judgment Day,
When Christ shall come to claim his own.
Though hame is lonely and hearts are sair
We'll patiently wait for death and then
When a’ is o’er on that glad shore
From somewhere in France we'll meet again
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The following is a brief outline taken froman article in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia.
Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868 for the purpose of decorating the graves of the American Civil War dead.
The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags, in honor of the nation's armed services personnel killed in wartime.

My father served his country in WWII, 2 of my Uncles also served in WWII, 2 of my cousins were in the Army & Marine Corps and were in Vietnam, My DH was Marine from 1974-1981, he never went to war but because he entered JROTC in 1974, he is considered a Veteran.