SAN ANTONIO — Noah Lipman and his wife Kim Grosenbacher spent this Memorial Day at the San Antonio National Cemetery, reflecting on the thousands of military veterans who lost their lives while serving.
“We want to serve those who also served us,” Lipman said. “And so, we go around. We try to pick up the flags that have fallen down.”
The San Antonio National Cemetery is a nearly-four-acre site with more than 3,000 interments dating back to 1867, when the city donated the burial ground to the federal government.
The first burials at San Antonio National Cemetery included the remains of Union soldiers. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, “314 unknowns are buried in a common grave in Section H, marked with a monument inscribed ‘To the Unknown Dead.”’
“We try to have thoughts and respect about the people who are buried here going all the way back to before the Civil War who ultimately gave their lives for this country that we continue to honor and cherish,” Lipman said.
Grosenbacher grew up learning the importance of the U.S. Armed Forces and the Constitution. She now teaches U.S. government classes in Boerne.
“I was a military brat. My dad was in the Air Force, enlisted,” Grosenbacher said. “I’ve had students go off and serve. I’ve had students who also paid the ultimate price. I’m here to honor them too.”
While Memorial Day is often deemed the unofficial start of summer, a time to relax with family and food, Lipman and Grosenbacher say they hope more people consider engaging with the true meaning of the annual holiday.
“It’s a tough thing to do, to see that so many people don’t recognize this other than as a holiday to just have a barbecue," Lipman said. "That’s an important thing. But it’s also more important to recognize why we have this holiday."
“I would challenge more Americans to spend some time walking through cemeteries on these days," Grosenbacher added. "Have a sense of gratitude for the people that served for our liberties."
To learn more about the San Antonio National Cemetery, go here.
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