Memorial Day

Dear A.R.T. Letters:
One of the best ways to celebrate and honor Memorial Day might be to spend a few quiet minutes walking through one of our national cemeteries —there are 155 located all over the US.

The rows of simple white headstones quietly tell the story of America itself: veterans of wars, pilots, nurses, mechanics, teachers, immigrants, sons, daughters and spouses — each marked by only a few words engraved in stone, yet each representing a life shaped by service, sacrifice and hope.

Walking among them is a reminder that our country has endured hardship, division and uncertainty before. The people buried there came from different backgrounds, religions and political beliefs, but shared a commitment to the nation and to one another.

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration has repeatedly been ranked as the highest-rated organization in America, public or private. In a 2025 national survey, it received a remarkable score of 98 out of 100, the highest ever recorded.

Anyone who has attended a burial service or visited one of these cemeteries understands why.

At a time when political polarization often seem s to overshadow our shared history and common humanity, Memorial Day reminds us that despite our disagreements, we remain part of the same long American story.

Eric Peterson
Santa Rosa, CA