Each year on the last Monday in May, our country celebrates the holiday known as Memorial Day. Schools are closed, many places of business give their employees time off and families make plans to either picnic with friends, have a barbeque at home with company pitching in favorite foods, or take to the beaches for frolicking in the surf.

While it’s always enjoyable to celebrate in a favorite manner, the real reason for Memorial Day should be reaffirmed and all the citizens of this country should take time from their scheduled events to pay the respect our fallen Military heroes so rightly deserve. After all, if it wasn’t for them, many of the freedoms and pleasures we enjoy would not be part of our way of life.

Here at the VFW Post 4174 in Lehigh Acres, we are partnering with the American Legion and the DAV as well as a Boy Scout Troop to perform a ceremony which is very inspirational and heart warming. Our veterans never forget their comrades, past and present, and are always ready to revere their memory. The ceremony usually lasts about an hour and takes place in the military section of Hodges Funeral Home at Lee Memorial Park located 1277 State Road 82 in Ft. Myers.

The speeches are short, but profound and there is prayer from Chaplains, a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, several special readings, a flag ceremony and the tolling of the bells as each member whom we lost in the past year has his/her name called out for the last time. Attending the Memorial Day Ceremony should be on everyone’s to do list at least one time, as it brings home what we owe to those who served.

When the formalities are finished, the VFW and the Legion are having lunches and the public is invited to join in for an enjoyable and reasonable meal. One needn’t be a member to participate and linking up for the rituals of the day will give forth a good feeling of gratitude to those who so proudly served and it will help in remembering the fallen with pride.

The VFW is located at 25 Homestead Road in Lehigh Acres and our doors will be open in case you decide to drop in. If you do, you’ll be glad you did!