Beyond the Beach — The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Remembering Uncle Felix

Memorial Day is upcoming. For those outside the U.S., Memorial Day is the last Monday of May each year. It's considered the beginning of summer. We Americans grill outdoors, attend pool parties, watch baseball, and travel south to those white-sand beaches. 

But do you remember the real purpose of Memorial Day?

Memorial Day’s roots date back to the post-Civil War era, when citizens would place spring flower memorials on the graves of fallen soldiers (in both North and South).

It was called Decoration Day, and in parts of the South, people have extended the tradition to all graves. (It still occurs today.) Memorial Day grew from that tradition. 

Memorial Day exists so the country may honor service members who have died in military service to the nation. One such was my uncle, Felix Deloach King, Jr. He lost his life while serving in Vietnam.

Uncle Felix was born in Homewood, Alabama. He grew up there before marrying and having two sons — my cousins. He served as an Infantry Unit Commander with the 8th Cavalry of the U.S. Army. 

At only 23 years old, Felix was killed by “small arms fire” in Pleiku Province, South Vietnam. His parents and young wife buried him in Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, Alabama. (Elmwood’s claim to fame -Alabama coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant is buried there.)

Uncle Felix lies beside his grandparents (my great-grandparents) and near his own parents (buried some thirty years later). You can find his name on panel 3E, line 024 of the Vietnam Memorial (the “Wall”) in Washington D.C.

Felix’s story is one of many such tragedies. And each one could fill volumes. 

While we honor those we lost, we can’t forget the families left behind. Losing Felix devastated his family. My mother, barely a teenager, lost her big brother and hero. My grandparents lost their oldest son. And Felix’s children were left to grow up without their father. We should take time to send prayers, vibes, and/or thoughts to those families, too.

To help its citizens remember what the day is about, in December 2000, Congress passed “The National Moment of Remembrance Act.” It:

 “encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for two minutes of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.”

A moment of silence in a weekend of fun. I think we can all spare that.

 3 p.m.