Wear a poppy as commemoration
For over 85 years, the American Legion Auxiliary has distributed the memorial poppy to remind Americans that million sacrificed their lives and health to keep our nation strong and free.
From Friday, May 25, through Monday, May 28, the American Legion Auxiliary is asking every American citizen to wear a poppy in observation of Memorial Day. The memorial poppy is a symbol of the price of war and sacrifice. Wearing the poppy also honors the hospitalized and disabled who served. The handcrafted poppies bring therapeutic and financial benefits to the veterans who proudly make them.
During WWI, poppies grew wild amid the shell-pocked soil in Belgium. The brilliant red color reminds us of the bloodshed of war.
Please join the American Legion Auxiliary in recognizing the sacrifice of our veterans by wearing a memorial poppy on this Memorial Day.
Dying for your country isn't the worst thing that can happen; being forgotten is.
HANNAH T. SCHOOLFIELD
American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 66
Pikeville, Tenn.
Pause to remember our fallen patriots
Memorial Day is approaching -- a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. We should always remember that for the love of our nation, they gave their lives.
So go to your sales, picnics, swimming pools, yard sales or the beach, but sometime during the day stop a moment to remember them and thank God for blessing us with patriots like them and the peace they ensured for us.
I believe the poem "A Solders Prayer" by Maj. Gen. James B. Middleton, is a fitting tribute to share on Memorial Day.
God bless our absent comrades.
EARL RHUE
Rock Spring, Ga.
Past Post All State Commander
VFW Post 2652, Maryland
School slighted in news coverage
This has been a major concern of mine for some time, since moving to Lookout Valley in Chattanooga: I have found that it is almost impossible for our high school to obtain any notice of recognition from your paper other than its academic or athletic groups. It does seem strange to me, though, that the high-money private schools and larger county schools can have a bake sale and it makes the front page.
I guess the final straw was the Sunday paper on May 13. The front of Metro shows a photo of Brainerd High's graduation, the same day as Lookout Valley's. Is this due to the size of our school or is it just being prejudiced? I feel our students strive just as hard to achieve their goals as any other school and deserve the same acknowledgement.
RON BLEWER