Every year on the last Monday in May people celebrate Memorial Day. This holiday marks the unofficial start to summer and is often celebrated with a visit to the beach, a trip to a park, or cookouts in the backyard. The true reason for Memorial Day is to honor and remember the men and women who did not come home; the active-duty service members who died protecting our country and those who remain Missing in Action (MIA) or Prisoners of War (POW).
Caring Circle’s veteran support services team is partnering again this year with the dietary departments at all three Spectrum Health Lakeland hospitals, as well as with the activities department at Pine Ridge, to provide missing man tribute tables. These tables are a reminder of the empty chair left by those service members who did not come home and a show of support to their loved ones who grieve their absence and carry on their legacy. We encourage you to take a moment of silence and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice paid by these service members for the protection of our freedoms.