On Memorial Day we remember and mourn those who sacrificed their lives while in active military service. Observed on the last Monday in May, the stories of the origin of the holiday vary but the practice of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers is an ancient custom, according to a sourced article on Wikipedia. In the United States, the tradition of flowers continues along with placing U.S. flags on the soldiers’ graves, a practice dating to before the American Civil War.

In this spirit of remembrance, SOAR instructors Dan Harmon and Brigadier General (Retired) Douglas Slocum share some thoughts on who they are remembering on this Memorial Day.

Dan Harmon has been a SOAR instructor since 2007 and served as SOAR board chair for five years. During the Cold War, from 1966 to 1970, Harmon served as a line officer in the United States Navy and left as a lieutenant.

“Memorial Day for me,” said Harmon, “is a time to honor and remember Americans who answered their country’s call and, in some cases, made the ultimate sacrifice. My father and my uncle both served in the Navy during World War II, one in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic. That, in addition to being a veteran myself, makes the day a little more meaningful.”

From 2014 to 2019, Brigadier General Douglas Slocum served as Commander, 127th Wing, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.

“Memorial Day is a time when I reflect on the price that has been paid by so many men and women to safeguard our freedom,” said Slocum. “This day is set aside not only as an opportunity to remember, but it also as a chance to reflect on the fact that what unites us and brings us together as Americans is far stronger than anything trying to divide us.”