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Observing Memorial Day

Memorial Day is more than just the unofficial start to summer vacation, backyard barbecues, and beach trips. The holiday has a more somber meaning - it is a federal holiday that honors our brave military members who died while serving our country. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and honored the soldiers who died in the Civil War in the 1860’s. After World War I and World War II the day grew to be called Memorial Day so that more soldiers could be honored.

The day was always celebrated on May 30th, but in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act so that the holiday would always fall on the last Monday of May. It became a federal holiday in 1971 to ensure people could have the day off work to reflect on the sacrifice made for them.

Many communities hold festivals and parades in observance of Memorial Day. Our Nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., will host a large parade and offer tours on the National Mall to experience the WW2 Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and Korean Memorial. Many people will pay tribute to our fallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, where there are flags decorating over 250,000 tombstones, and roses are provided by the Memorial Day Roses Foundation for visitors to pay tribute to the soldiers who gave so much for our freedom and our country.

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest award an American soldier can receive, and last week President Biden presented this award to Ralph Puckett, Jr. who served in the Korean War as an Army Ranger. In a battle just 60 miles from the China border Lieutenant Puckett and the Rangers had orders to take Hill 205, so on the morning of November 25, 1950, they set out. Puckett had a gut feeling something was not right as the men moved forward.

There were 25,000 Chinese troops in the area, and they began firing on the soldiers, so Puckett ran ahead to determine where the shooting was coming from. He risked his life by running ahead, and once the troops had secured the hill, he knew they could not rest easy. When the Chinese attacked again, Puckett left the safety of his foxhole to check that the perimeter was holding and encourage each of his men. The Chinese attacked six different times, and by the end of the fighting Puckett had injuries to his arms, legs, and feet that were so severe he could not move. He ordered his men to evacuate the area and leave him behind, but they refused – they banded together to move him out to safety. President Biden was joined by the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, as he bestowed the award on Mr. Puckett at the White House and declared him a hero!

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing

135,000 fans are expected at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today to cheer on drivers and crews in the 2021 Indianapolis 500 auto race. Qualifiers were held May 22 and 23 to determine field layout for the 33 racers with Scott Dixon’s winning time giving him pole position for the fourth time in his career.

Pole position is the most favorable spot to start the race, so Dixon will start the Indy 500 on the inside of the front row. The checkered flags will wave at noon to start the race, which will take about 3-3.5 hours for the drivers to complete over 200 laps of the track for a total of 500 miles. At the finish line it has become a tradition for the winner to have a glass of milk! This began in the 1930’s when winner Louis Meyer asked for a glass of buttermilk after his victory, because his mom had taught him it would refresh

Lucky Duck at Chick-fil-A

Many people might say they love Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwiches and waffle fries so much that they want to live there and eat them every day – but apparently it is not just people who feel this way, because one lucky duck has made Chick-fill-A her home! A Brownsville, Texas, Chick-fil-A discovered the duck, who they named Daisy, in their parking lot recently.

They constructed a barrier to keep her safe and posted a sign that reads, “Say hello to Daisy! Daisy is our friend. Please be respectful of her home." The restaurant has been sharing plenty of pictures of Daisy, and employees were even more excited when her ducklings began to hatch. Daisy and her ducklings are living comfortably and safely in their parking lot home, while many fans are making a trip to Chick-fil-A for dinner and a look at the feathered celebrity.

photo: Facebook/Brownsville Chick-fil-a

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