Memorial Day 2014

Here in New England, there is no shortage of old burial grounds dating from the 1600-1700's.  Even though many of the headstones have weathered beyond recognition,  veterans of all the wars are remembered and honored on Memorial Day Weekend.  In many cases, the original headstones have been replaced with newer, more legible headstones so that we can always remember those who have fought for our country and defended our liberties.  The Old Stone Church Burial Ground in Niantic, CT dates from 1719.  There you can find veterans' graves dating from our early wars.  I visited the burial ground today to find the earliest war having a veteran.

There was this headstone for Elijah Smith,  a veteran from the War of 1812, a mere 200 years ago.

Not surprisingly I was able to find this veteran from the Revolutionary War, Joseph Miner.

Surprising to me was to find this veteran, Clement Miner, who fought in the French and Indian Wars, before our country was founded.  He wasn't the only veteran from that war buried here.  

It's nice that all of these veterans are remembered each Memorial Day, even for those wars fought before the founding of the United States.  There might be other veterans from earlier wars buried in other cemeteries throughout New England, but it was somewhat humbling to find these right here in Niantic.  Happy Memorial Day.