A day to remember
On Monday, we will observe Memorial Day, a national holiday that honors those who died while serving in the US Armed Forces.
Many communities, large and small, will hold some sort of observance. In New Prague, the Veterans Honor Guard will visit area cemeteries to pay their respects to deceased service members, reading a list of names of those buried in each place. There will be a parade, going from City Hall to Memorial Park, where there will be a speech from Captain Lesley Fierst, USN, a New Prague native, and there will be a reading of deceased service members from the New Prague area who are buried elsewhere, or whose bodies never made it home.
The earliest observance of Memorial Day took place in the years following the Civil War, when New Prague was just a young community. Even then, soldiers from the area served the nation, as they did in the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Many brave men and women from the New Prague area have served. A few made the ultimate sacrifice. Others came back wounded, either physically or mentally. All paid some price to guarantee our freedom.
Many people have plans for the upcoming holiday weekend, but we encourage everyone to take the time to remember those who have paid the ultimate price. Memorial Day is not about grilling, fishing and golfing. It’s about remembering those who have served, who have made it possible for us to enjoy life.