Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-29
MEMORIAL DAY

of the dead"
those who died in its Defense who surviving the
rors OF war, have since Joined their comrades of the
battlefield in the army of death.
To US of the present generation, Memorial Day
prings to mind those who died the batlefelds of
France or on the seas and in camps during the World
War. They yet close to u.s. Time( 1T
dmmed our memory of them in the vigov
youth We see them as strong, healthy bror
hearts husbands and fathers. Their livI
number millions.
To many others Memorial Day recall
OF 3d. who just as gladly the youth ol
Grafton. responded when their country l..
tnose who mourn for them it is comparat}
see them marching away to the sentimenta1- -v-
Town. Young men and boys they three decades
ago. Their surviving comrades have reached lifes
peak and their numbers rapidly grow fewer
Still others on Memorial Day. though their num-
Ders are comparatively speaking, only handful,
trace back the to the dark days of 81 when broth
time the blue or the gray matters little now for
we cherish the memory of BOTH Nearly three score
years and ten many OF them have slept the battle
Ield Gnared and bent by the passing years, are
their surviving companions only the brightness of their
eyes and the staunchness of their spirit remaining
have already heard TAPS"
The Great Commander gradually summons the
veterans year by year The sturdy veteran of decade
is as likely to be called his elder comrade who has
seen many summers and go since he laid aside
his uniform Many who honored their comrades last
year are In turn among the honored this year For
many others this will be the last Memorial Day
Following period of years when the nation was
inclined to forget and turned Memorial Day into day
OF sports and celebration in recent has been
observed IN its true spirit by paying tribute to the na
tons heroes and rededcating ourselves to the high
Ideals OF patriotism for which they stood.
his is as it should be- 1t will not do to rernen1-
Der the human fraities of those who answered when
their country called The sacrifices they made even
though it were not the supreme one wiped away the
shortcomings to which all of heir in some fashion
other.
We see them Memorial Day as heroes who
walked in the valley of shadows and feared not SO
too must we see them at all other times despite the eff
forts made by modern historians to emphasize their
weaknesses and minimize their love of country
They have left us priceless hertages their ex-
ample and our own dear country. Unless we can
follow the iormer, we cannot appreciate the latter
We take so much for granted and grumble so much at
the few duties our citizenship imposes upon US. He
who would love his country must know it. He cannot
know it unless he knows its history. Not the super
fical and brief story given to us in our school days
but by continual study of the past on large scale and
lively interest in the history that we ourselves are
making.
Our observance of Memorial Day should not stop
at brief tribute to national dead There is no
better time to dedicate ourselves to the purpose of
knowing country for the story of Christ alone is
interesting and fascinating than the history
OF these United States of America