Today’s post is about the U.S. flag my family received after my father was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. As I’ve posted in the past, my father served in WWII and the Korean War as a radiologist. Only recently did I discover some of the stories about his service.
My dad died of natural causes, after a very long and full life, when I was only 7 years old. There was so much I didn’t understand when I attended his funeral, but the memories of that day are quite vivid, including the folding of this flag and its presentation to my mom.
Recently, I received my dad’s military personnel file, several months after requesting it from the National Archives and Records Administration. I learned still more about my dad and his service. What a treasure trove. If you are the direct descendant of a now-deceased veteran, I highly recommend taking advantage of the resources NARA provides — request their records as a way to honor them for Memorial Day. You’re sure to learn a lot!
And day by day we loose that generation that fought in WWII. When they had the WASP Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in Washington DC in March of this year, the attending WASP were in the 80s and 90s — the youngest could only have 87 years old. The honor guard was busy pushing wheel chairs, untangling walkers and canes — and then there were still some very spy lady pilots.
Thanks for posting the emblems of your dad’s service.
Thank you, Joan, for your comment. It is sad to think of that generation slipping away.