For the second year in a row, Memorial Day observances in communities, organizations and even within family groups will look very different later this month because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The parades, large ceremonies and other occasions, which I and so many others in the Oregon veteran community have always found moving and meaningful, have not yet been able to safely return in many places.
Yet, the importance of this day â and the emotions and memories that it brings â have not changed.
For countless families across our communities, our state and our nation, Memorial Day is a stark and, often, painful reminder of those loved ones who went to serve their country and never came home.