Memorial Day, 2010

This year's commemoration of Memorial Day started off like any other. The Warrior Marching Band gathered at school to get instruments and run through our patriotic medley and the national anthem. We drove down to Jewett Park where the Big Band Sound of Deerfield was entertaining the crowd that was gathering around our town's war memorial. The American Legion members were on the stage, looking proud in their Legion hats and ties, and scouts of every age were in small clumps, holding flags and buzzing with excitement.

As in the past, there were a few short speeches about why we pause to reflect on this day, about how men and women throughout the ages made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom. All was going well until a couple of raindrops started to fall. As we lined up in parade formation next to the First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield, it started to rain more steadily. By the time we stepped off, we were getting drenched. When we arrived at the cemetery for the reading of Deerfield's war dead (a list that goes back to the War of 1812), it was coming down in buckets, and there were ominous rumbles of thunder off to the west. Undeterred, senior buglers Ryan Kaplan and Harrison Middaugh played "Taps" after the rifle volleys were sounded. It was a poignant moment as always.

As we lined up ready to head north on Waukegan Road, a Deerfield police officer wisely cancelled the rest of the parade and put everyone up on the sidewalk to walk back into town. We sloshed back through deep puddles, hopped on the now steamy buses, and went back to school. Everyone was excited to see Logan's convertible, which of course had the top down. Instead of putting the uniforms into piles to send to the dry cleaners, we hung everything out to dry. It will delay the process, but I don't think any of the marchers will every forget this parade.

I was very glad to see that nobody complained about getting drenched. As I reminded them afterwards, our veterans have suffered through days of rain in the jungle, bitter cold in the mountains, and sandstorms in the desert, all while under constant threat of enemy fire. It was certainly no problem for us to get a little wet as we remembered the brave men and women who served and died that we might be free.