Crowd Marks Holiday At Memorial Park Cemetery In Tulsa

Memorial Day is a day to remember the men and women who have given their lives in the service of our country.

All over the U.S. there are parades and picnics and special ceremonies to mark the day. At Memorial Park Cemetery, the morning was full of patriotic music and marches.

The Community Band set the tone. The crowd was full of patriots of every stripe and stars.

Lt Gen Harry M (Bud) Wyatt was back home to offer the holiday address. General Wyatt, formerly Oklahoma's Adjutant General, is now director of all Air guard units around the world.

Vietnam is the focus of many ceremonies this year; 2012 is the 50th anniversary of our involvement in Vietnam.

But Memorial Day is for everyone. We began decorating soldier's graves with flags and flowers during the Civil War. It became a national holiday much later.

Mike and Amy Dupree and their kids wouldn't have missed it; it's how they do every Memorial Day.

"Keep yourself refreshed as to why you have the freedoms, and also instill it in them," Amy Dupree said.

And there were so many exciting things to see. Natalie was taken with the Marine helicopter on display. Like many of the rest of us, the Duprees have picnics and swimming pools ahead today.

05/28/2012 Related Story: Oklahomans Honor War Heroes At Fort Gibson National Cemetery