This morning, Memorial Day, I attended the wreath laying ceremony at the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King. It was a beautiful tribute to our fallen.
The high school students who were selected to Badger Boys and Girls State along with the Waupaca Middle School Band who preformed patriotic songs admirably represented the Waupaca School District. The lesson taught year after year at these functions is that Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and that as we celebrate with our families we should remember why we have these freedoms.
The high school students, who were also band members, had to rush off after the ceremony in time to play for graduation. I am not sure when or why the Waupaca School Board determined that Memorial Day was an acceptable day for graduation but I for one coming from a military family am offended and more importantly concerned.
Would you couple graduation with Christmas or Easter because it is convenient? Memorial Day is a federal holiday and should be treated as such. If you choose to hold graduation over the Memorial Day weekend, so be it, but please let’s keep Monday, Memorial Day and Memorial Day only.
We try to teach our children that both graduation and Memorial Day are very important. Let’s not minimize either by squeezing them into one day.