Courtesy of Ashley Curry
Vestavia Hills mayor Ashley Curry
This month, we celebrate three very significant events.
The first is Memorial Day, which is designated as a national day of remembrance and honor for all of our military veterans who were killed in service from the Revolutionary War through the current war in Afghanistan.
It was originally called Decoration Day, and families or friends would place flowers on the graves of the deceased veterans in remembrance for those who died in military service for the United States. Throughout the United States, it is common to visit cemeteries — particularly military ones — and decorate graves of the deceased with flowers, small flags and wreathes.
I vividly remember having family gatherings at family gravesites in Winston County and on Sand Mountain in north Alabama. I referred to these as “family reunions,” but it was clearly a day of remembering loved ones as we placed flowers on the graves. A large lunch usually followed the visit to the cemetery. These always took place in May.
According to the Pew Research Center, from the Revolutionary War in 1775 to the current War on Terror in Afghanistan, military service deaths are estimated at nearly 1,000,000.
On Monday, May 31, please remember all of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice ensuring the freedoms that we enjoy today. Our freedom proves that they did not die in vain.
The second significant event is Mother’s Day, which is Sunday, May 9. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation making Mother’s Day an official holiday, to take place each year on the second Sunday of May to celebrate the personal, individual connection between a mother and her children. I remember the South Central Bell television ads featuring the legendary football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant. In the ad, Coach Bryant stated, “Call you mother today, I sure wish I could call mine.”
His ad must have made a lasting impact. Did you know that more phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than any other day of the year? These holiday chats with Mom often cause phone traffic to spike by as much as 37 percent.
Don’t miss the opportunity to call your mother this holiday. I wish that I could call mine.
Finally, May 15 is Peace Officers Memorial Day. On this day, we pay tribute to local, state and federal law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice or been injured in the line of duty. The observance takes place during Police Week (May 9-15).
Please join me in congratulating the Vestavia Hills Police Department for their professionalism and sense of duty in making our city one of the safest cities in Alabama.
May is also the month in which we celebrate graduation for our senior class at Vestavia Hills High School. We wish these students continued success as they begin new chapters in their lives.
