This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

What Is Memorial Day Really About?

Recap of 128th Air Refueling Wing Civic Dinner Dance from the eyes of a granddaughter and her military veteran grandfather.

Last week was officially Milwaukee Armed Forces Week. As we go into the Memorial Day Weekend, do you know what Memorial Day celebrates?

OK, yes, the unofficial beginning of summer. Running, biking, walking outside - FINALLY! Many of us will partake in cookouts over the weekend as well (hopefully healthy options - turkey burger anyone?).

All the hype of summer sun aside, Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. It originally began as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the Civil War. It turned into an occasion for more general expression of memory and visiting grave sites of deceased relatives, whether they served in the military or not. 

Find out what's happening in Oak Creekwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

I had the pleasure of accompanying my grandfather and Oak Creek resident Dan Schmitt, otherwise known as "Grandpa Dan," to the 128th Air Refueling Wing Civic Dinner Dance May 19. What a wonderful event! 

Community, civic and business leaders were on hand and it was a great opportunity to eat dinner next to state representatives Mark Honadel, Jeff Stone and Christine Sinicki. I was honored to shake hands of those who currently serve our country, to be present at the somber POW MIA ceremony and to learn an insider's view from Capt. Aaron Gulczynski on what "it was really like" in repairing Iraq during his deployment with Operation New Dawn. 

Find out what's happening in Oak Creekwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It was great to see more than 400 community members come together to support, celebrate and remember all that our military does for us.     

However, the most important part of the evening for me was learning more about my grandfather's military service, as he was part of the Air Force during the transition time in 1941 when it switched from being part of the Army into a separate military branch (yes, he's 81... actually going on 21 :) ).

Even though Milwaukee Armed Forces week is over, please make sure to take the time - this Memorial Day and each day - to thank those who have served our country and give us the freedom to live our lives the way we choose. 

To those who have served our country, thank you from the bottom of my heart for fighting for our freedom. And for giving me the freedom to do what I love to do: motivate, inspire and educate others on health and fitness.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?