Monday was Memorial Day. As is our family tradition, I went to the cemetery with my daughter, my two young granddaughters, and my mom. As my daughter and I went from gravesite to gravesite, bringing flowers and pausing to remember loved family members, the two-year-old ran freely, pausing occasionally to admire a trinket or bright flower. We carried the baby who reached and grabbed for anything she could touch, and my mother, slowed by age and discomfort, observed from the car. When we came to my father’s grave my mom said to us, “I hope he has a flag. It would mean so much to him.”
Yes, it would mean so much to him. Like many others of his generation, my father was a WWII veteran. He served proudly and honorably. To serve his country was a privilege, and as a first generation American, my father was conscious of that privilege every day of his life. He was also conscious of his fellow soldiers – those who did not come home. Memorial Day was special to him – a time to remember and reflect – and to show respect. We grew up knowing how sacred this day was to my dad.
I think about the many veterans we serve at Advanced Health Care. Like my father, each one of them sacrificed for their country. And, like my dad, each of them had friends and fellow soldiers who did not come home. And like my dad, they never forget their fallen comrades.
It is an honor for us, at Advanced Health Care, to serve our military veterans and their families. And while we are serving those who served us, we pause and remember those we cannot serve, those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, and did not come home. Honoring and respecting them would mean a lot to my dad.
And yes, he had a flag.
Julie Ferguson, Administrator