Memorial Day, what was originally "Decoration Day," is indeed intended for the honoring and remembrance of those who died in all of our wars, "police actions" and military incursions, since the Civil War. It should be a somber occasion, however, Madison Avenue and outdoor grille manufacturers have co-opted this tribute to our fallen, and to most Americans it merely signals BBQ and the beginning of Summer. 

As a Vietnam veteran, I usually attend one service or another, as I have lost forever, buddies and high school classmates to Vietnam, and as a teacher I have lost former students to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Armed Forces Day is Saturday, May 21st. So if you want to wear your US flag T-shirts and hats, and all the Cabelas Camo you can find, that's a good day to do it. Or how about the 4th of July. But on Memorial Day, at least give a thought to those whom Abe Lincoln so elegantly put it, "gave that last full measure of devotion."