Saturday Morning Message: Memorial Day Remembrances

Good morning,

The picture came from the article "Out of Tragedy," written by Bonnie Carroll, surviving spouse of Brigadier Gen. Tom Carroll and founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors that describes how this organization came to be. I thought it would be a good article to share in the Memorial Day edition of the Saturday Morning Message.

On Memorial Day, survivors can be found in many different places at events that honor those who served in our country’s military and gave their lives. Some can be found at an activity in their home state, others may choose a location that is special to their loved ones and some may prefer to stay at home. I am at the National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp this weekend, so the Saturday Morning Message will be a bit different. I have included survivor responses that come from the TAPS archives about what they do on Memorial Day.

Wherever you chose to spend this Memorial Day, you are in the right place and the thoughts of your TAPS family are with you. If you find you would like to talk to someone at TAPS, please call 800-959-TAPS (8277) anytime as our helpline is available 24/7 for support.

Remember, you can write to me anytime — to contribute, subscribe or if you have thoughts on what could make the Saturday Morning Message more helpful. I look forward to hearing from you. My email address is online@taps.org.

Hugs,
Carol Lane
Mother of Bryon

Answers from Survivors

Survivor Responses from the TAPS Archives: How do you spend Memorial Day?

From Bob, father of John in 2014: Kitty and I were at the National Military Survivor Seminar in Washington, DC. After the luncheon on Friday, we were sitting near one of the doors leading into the dining hall when a small boy, about 5 or 6, came into the room with his mother. They were looking around as if they had lost something, so I asked the boy if he had lost something. He replied that he had lost his daddy. I asked him when? He said in 2013. I then told him that his daddy had asked me to give him something, but that he had to give it back. He looked confused, so I told him it was a hug. Could I give him one? He said, “YES!” We hugged and my wife, who could see his face, said it was like the whole weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. I told him thanks, to which he responded, "Yeah!"

That would have been enough for us for the year, but on Monday evening going through the underground tunnel to eat, we were met by this same boy and his mother. He said, "Aren't you the huggers?" We said yes we were. He said, "Can I have another one?" We hugged again and all of our weekends were made complete.

From Rose, surviving spouse of Troy in 2016: I brought flowers to my husband's grave when we went to visit. Then after that we visited his grandma and his mom and talked to them for a while before we came back here to our house.

From Jean, mother of Patrick in 2016: Each Memorial Day, I participate, plan and speak at memorial services and educate the public that freedom is not free!

This year, we did a Memorial Day challenge to ask others to set an empty place at their table or picnic and remember that the empty chair represents the person who will not be with their families this Memorial Day. On the plate, sprinkle some salt to represent the countless tears of families, friends and comrades in-arms who mourn their deaths and miss them dearly. When these people set an empty place at their tables, they will understand that Memorial Day means someone’s child, spouse, parent, sibling or friend gave his or her future so they can have theirs. So I challenge everyone reading this who paid the price with their loved one's absence to promote this challenge.

From Craig, surviving father of Frank in 2013: On May 19, I was invited to sing the song I wrote, "They Buried My Son in Arlington" at an event. Sunday at our church we had the Patriot Guard Riders greet people as they enter the church. Our church honored several Gold Star Families from the area. That Sunday evening I was invited to sing my song again. On Memorial Day, Toni, my wife, will be travelling to Fort Myers to be at an event, while I will represent our family at our annual event in Oldsmar. So, Memorial Day for us turned into "Memorial Week."

If you would like to send a message thanking one or all of those who participated in this week’s Saturday Morning Message, send it to me at online@taps.org and I will make sure your thoughts are passed along to them.

Question for Next Week’s Saturday Morning Message

This week’s question comes from Marcia, mother of Patrick. She sent a picture of a plastic jug of laundry detergent and wrote, “I still keep this in my laundry room, even though it's been empty for five years and the spout no longer works, because my Patrick bought it the last time he was home. I wonder what others hang onto that defies logic.”  What do you keep around that reminds you of your loved one? Tell us a bit about why you keep it. The answers to this question will appear in next week's edition of the Saturday Morning Message. We look forward to your responses.

Questions are the backbone of the Saturday Morning Message. In order to keep the Saturday Morning Message fresh, I am always looking for more questions. If you have questions or topics you would like to see addressed in the Saturday Morning Message, you can email me at online@taps.org. I directly receive all responses that are sent to this address. Replies to the weekly question are best sent to me by Tuesday morning. You are an important part of this message, and I look forward to your replies, questions or any ideas you may have.

♫ Song for the Week

The song of the week is the Armed Forces Medley, as performed by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Memorial Day Concert in 2017. It is the perfect one for today since it includes the songs for all the United States Armed Forces.

You can send me favorite songs for this song of the week section at online@taps.org.