Flowers of Memory

Today is a day of remembering, of honoring, and of celebrating the lives and heroicism of the men and women who have fought and served, taking up arms, and dedicating their service to a calling of sacrifice and duty. But as we remember and honor these heroes--both the quick and the dead--we must also remember the forgotten ones, those whose families have all but faded away.

It was eight years ago that a French couple made it their duty to honor and remember our fallen heroes when their own families could not. Les Fleurs de la Memoire, or Flowers of Memory, was created; and volunteers have taken it upon themselves to adopt the graves of the fallen Americans at Normandy, and use this day to honor them with flowers, with ceremony, and with the rightful memorial they deserve.


During the ceremony, a French priest recites the Lord's Prayer, while a Rabbi chants the Kadish. Finally, a French military band performs the "Star-Spangled Banner." Simple as it is, these men and women of Les Fleurs de la Memoire are giving us a gift more precious than we can come to grasp. They are becoming a part of our families, and making us a part of theirs.

May we all take today to remember our family, to honor them, and to thank them for their loyal commitment. But more importantly, may we take their memories with us each and every day, and let them become more a part of who we are. Maybe then, we might just grow into a better people, a people willing to help and to love and to sacrifice for others the way they have sacrificed for us.

To learn more about Les Fleurs de la Memoire, read the article on npr.org to learn more.