Happy Memorial Day, Visitors (VIDEO)
Memorial Day is a time to remember and reflect on those who gave all they could give: themselves. On this day, Memorial Day, thousands of communities, including Leesburg and Loudoun, hold solemn ceremonies to honor those who passed in the service of their country. It began just after the Civil War, and was originally called Decoration Day. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the day when it became a Federal holiday.
Even when you’re traveling, odds are that there’s a war memorial or some other type of monument that honors those who served the community you’re visiting. The destination marketing organization or local visitors center usually can direct you to places and events associated with memorials and Memorial Day. Along with the Leesburg Courthouse, other places to honor those who fought in Loudoun are Ball’s Bluff Battlefield’s National Cemetery (one of the smallest in the nation), Leesburg’s Union Cemetery, Middleburg’s memorial to the Unknown Dead of the Civil War, or its memorial to the Civil War horses and mules, or even places like the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Hazy Center near Dulles. And I would argue there’s no better time to honor those who gave everything than at a time when you’re out doing the kind of thing they fought so strongly for: the ability to be free and move about freely, without restriction. Travel, in essence, allows us to reconnect with each other, experience new things, and to continually realize the opportunities for us to put into practice ideals that soldiers fought so bravely to maintain. So, thank you to all who served and gave of themselves. This Memorial Day, we remember.
The video below showcases Loudoun’s memorial to the men who served their county during one of its darkest hours. And Loudoun, situated as it is and was, on the border between north and south, experienced the conflict as personally as any border area across the land. When brother literally fought against brother. The result of which set us on a path to the nation we are today, once and for all. The courthouse in Leesburg where this monument stands, also honors those who fought in World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam.
Happy Memorial Day.
