Memorial Day is a special occasion for many of us. It is a holiday that "unofficially" indicates the start of summer. More importantly, it is a time to remember and honor those who have died having served in the United States Armed Forces. Decorating soldiers graves with flowers has been an ancient custom, that some say began prior to the American Civil War. Having lost an uncle during World War II, and after having spent forty years of my life as a psychiatric social worker for the VA, aiding those who served our country, I felt it important to attend this year's Memorial Day ceremony at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. This 78.6 acre site was created in 1870, on land donated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Fe, as a final resting place for those Union Soldiers who had died during the Civil War. Fifteen years later, it was designated a "National Cemetery." Currently, there are over 59,000 interred here, including nine Medal of Honor recipients, and fourteen of the original World War II " Code Talkers." The neat rows of granite headstones present a solem and impressive picture of the honor bestowed upon those buried here. While the ceremony itself only lasted one hour, we spent additional time exploring this beautiful location and paying our respects to all those here intered.
The Santa Fe National Cemetery is one of the 147 such cemeteries around the country, administered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
With over 59,000 interred here, this massive cemetery pays tribute to those New Mexicans who served their country.
We were fortunate to be able to attend the 2017 Memorial Day ceremony here in Santa Fe.
Speeches, such as this one by the Assistant Superintendent of the cemetery thanking those who care for the grounds and the graves, are a necessary part of such ceremonies.
Since both of our sons had served as Cadet Commanders of the local Civil Air Patrol in Massachusetts, it was nice to see the Santa Fe contingent taking part in this ceremony.
Following the hour-long service, we took time to explore the grounds and found several notable markers, such as this one from the Spanish-American War...
...and several of the nine Medal of Honor recipients buried here...
...but what was really important to us on this occasion was to be able find any of the graves of the World War II "Code Talkers", especially this one for the "Last of the Original 29 Navajo Code Talkers."
Chester Nez as a young Marine during World War II.
One of the more interesting stories we learned was surrounding this creation by Pvt. Dennis O'Leary. Soon after having gone AWOL for several weeks, O'Leary died at Fort Wingate in Gallop, New Mexico. Amongst his personal belongings was a note indicating the location of this sculpture he carved during the time of his absence. It was his last wish that this be used for his tombstone.
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