JUST NOW: Clinton pays tribute to the fallen

Clinton pauses this morning to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the United States military.

It is Memorial Day - an observance begun in 1868 as Decoration Day. It was a day when citizens would decorate with American Flags the graves of soldiers, in memory of their sacrifice. Congress made it an official national holiday in 1971. Today's guest speaker Mayor (Ret.) James A. Jenkins Jr. said, "It's not the beginning of summer. It's not the beginning of the 101 days of summer.

"Veterans are humbled when you say, "Thank you for your service.' We stand on the coattails of veterans now. Character, loyalty, duty honor - these are the characteristics of a veteran, the ones we lost - I think about our brothers and sisters every day."

The Clinton Memorial Day observance is sponsored annually by the American Legion Auxiliary, with support of the VFW, Clinton High School JROTC and the City of Clinton. 

http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2