Our View: Memorial Day is our duty to remember

Talk about it

What if everyone reading this were to hold off on the barbecue for a few hours, take a break from cutting the grass or push back a day at the beach to attend the Memorial Day ceremony in Woodbury this coming Monday?

No doubt that for many busy families Memorial Day is a rare weekday off from work obligations to spend time with the family. And with the recent summer tease we've had in the weather pattern, what can be more attractive than a three-day weekend to get away to the lake home or spend a day at the Como Zoo?

But suppose you were to return from that lake home on a Sunday night instead of a Monday afternoon? What if your plans for the zoo or the beach were curtailed to early afternoon? Well, then you could certainly attend the ceremony at Woodbury Lions Veterans Memorial, which, if you're into history or love of country, is a very meaningful event with very local ties.

For many years the local VFW and American Legion have teamed up to hold the Memorial Day event at the Woodbury United Methodist Cemetery.

Last year was the first time the event was held at the community's official veterans memorial site, located at Woodbury City Hall. The site, which features a simple, but reverent architecture, was dreamed up by a group of local veterans and first used to observe Veterans Day in 2008.

If you have plans to be home this weekend, we can't think of a better way to spend a few hours on Memorial Day.

The observance starts at 11 a.m. and will feature guest speaker Larry Shellito, a Woodbury resident and the adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard.

Tags: daily updates, editorial, opinion