Memorial Day in a Military Town

Memorial Day, soon to take place on May 26, 2008, is a holiday laced with a multitude of feelings. For some, Memorial Day is a time for a party, celebrating freedom and privileges that come with being an American. For others, it is a day to quietly remember the fallen soldiers who fought to uphold those freedoms.

Living in a military town for the last few years, I have come to a much greater appreciation of the meaning behind Memorial Day. I previously thought of the holiday as just an excuse for a 3-day weekend, a day to sleep in and relax. After watching friends and neighbors faced with the daunting process of having a family member or close friend overseas, I can truly see the need for a day set aside to remember our hard-working troops and those that have fallen. This Memorial Day Weekend, there are a multitude of events for the whole family here in Clarksville, TN, including bike rides, festivals, and somber memorial events.

The Annual Bike the CRAM (Clarksville Rotary Annual Metric) bike ride will take place on May 24^th, and features a wide variety of distances for all fitness levels and ages. The ride starts and ends at Rossview High School, located at 1237 Rossview Road, with registration from 6 to 7:15am. Participants can choose to ride the full 100 miles, 62 miles, 35 miles, or 20 miles.

If biking isn't your forte, the event will end at the Beachaven Winery, located at 1100 Dunlop Lane, for their Jazz on the Lawn festival. Bring blankets and a picnic dinner! The live Jazz musicians start at 6pm on May 24^th, featuring Jim Gibson. There is plenty of space for dancing next to the stage, and a large area to spread out blankets and have a great time with family and friends, but it fills up fast so you may want to get there early. Because it is outdoors, smoking is still allowed, and the only rules are no pets and no outside liquor. The Winery is open during Jazz on the Lawn, so feel free to sample their wide varieties of wine. Just remember to drink responsibly and always have a Designated (SOBER) Driver!

If you really want to do some good this Memorial Day, a great way to celebrate would be to take part in the American Red Cross Memorial Day Blood Drive, located at 585 S. Riverside Drive. The drive will take place from 8am to 12pm. Giving blood is a great way to show your remembrance of the troops while helping to save lives.

If you prefer to celebrate Memorial Day in quiet remembrance of our troops, both past and present, there are usually numerous events announced within the first few weeks of May for memorial services and charity events to support the troops.

Personally, my usual Memorial Day celebration for the last few years has been to spend the weekend truly celebrating freedoms our soldiers have given us through service. I typically tag along to Jazz on the Lawn with friends, since jazz music and dancing are major passions of mine. I usually participate as a volunteer in as many of the events as possible, and help to organize a neighborhood barbeque for the many military families in my neighborhood. Particularly the years we have been in the middle of deployments, having a day to come together as a neighborhood and celebrate the soldiers, and the families supporting them, can help those families stay strong and positive while waiting for their soldier to return.

American Red Cross, http://clarksville.redcross.org

Beachaven Winery, http://www.beachavenwinery.com

Bike The CRAM Even Information, http://www.bikethecram.com