I observed it by walking--for almost two miles--among and around the sleeping souls of dead heroes at the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery.
Walking about an hour each day is my daily routine, but this particular stroll was special.
There, at the little cemetery about 25 miles east of Knoxville, Tenn., (a short drive off I-81) I felt the essence of Memorial Day.
Old Glory flapped proudly in a breeze, while hundreds of simple white markers, each with an American flag, seemed to stand at attention.
This a solemn, peaceful, reverential place. People kneel and pray and hold hands and take pictures here. They touch the markers, close their eyes and remember their loved ones. Or maybe they just come here to pay their respects on Memorial Day.
Because this is where heroes slumber but should never be forgotten. Many of them served in one of the World Wars, in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq. They were soldiers, airmen or seamen. Men and women sleep here.
Heroes all of them.
I never knew Jay Rogers Daniel Jr. (May 17, 1956-March 7, 2014) but his headstone says this U.S. Army seargent was a Vietnam veteran. He was also a "BELOVED FATHER, BROTHER AND PAPAW."
Likewise, I never had the honor of knowing Albert Charles Stephenson (Oct. 14, 1956-March 1, 2014). This Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S Air Force is now "SAFE IN THE ARMS OF GOD," according to his tombstone.
Thank you for your service, Jay Rogers Daniel Jr. and Albert Charles Stephenson, and rest in eternal peace in the arms of angels in Heaven.
Last but not least, I remember my Dad, Lawrence C. Timbs, who died at the age of 90 in January 2012. He retired from the U.S. Air Force and saw action in World War II and Korea. And my Mother, Dixie Nadine Jenkins Timbs, Dad's ever-devoted helpmate who died on July 4, 2013. They do not sleep at the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery; instead, they rest peacefully about 100 miles away near Elizabethton, Tenn.
Happy Memorial Day, Mom and Dad.
1 comment:
One of the most moving moments was when I saw Arlington for the first time. Those rows and rows of heroes.
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