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Memorial Day in Milwaukee

By John Zutz

A warm, damp Memorial Day began early for the members and friends of the Milwaukee Chapter. Many of us volunteered to escort hospitalized veterans from the Zablocki VAMC to the ceremonies at Wood National Cemetery. Milwaukee is the only place in the nation that combines a hospital, regional office and cemetery on one campus.

As part of the official ceremony, longtime chapter members Fred Wallace and Muriel Hogan placed a wreath memorializing those who didn't return from war and chapter members who have passed on.

After returning our escorted patients to their rooms, we joined many of those who had attended the ceremony for coffee and rolls in the hospital auditorium.

We then moved our A-O to Veterans Park, on the Milwaukee lakefront, where the annual Memorial Day Parade would end. We joined with Veterans for Peace, and with volunteer help we set up 800 flags, with a name for a boy or girl who died in Iraq on each one. The idea was to show people what 800 looks like. We also informed visitors that if we observed a minute of silence for each of them we would be standing quietly for over thirteen hours.

As another veterans' group released 10,000 POW/MIA balloons nearby, we performed our 21-flower salute. We do this by ringing a bell (from an old Milwaukee fire engine) and throwing a flower into the field of flags at the same time. Many present were impressed by the symbolism.

Shortly after the salute the heavens literally opened, and rain flooded the field.