Posted: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 09:01 PM - 11,785 Readers

By: Andrew Horansky

On this Memorial Day, several events around Austin helped bring the holiday’s meaning home.  From the skies, to a cemetery, people paid tribute.

At the Austin Memorial Cemetery, volunteers placed flags at the graves of servicemen and women for the third year in a row.  Michael Guthmiller put a flag on the grave of his father, who served in Korea.

“He’s a hero,” Guthmiller says.

Some parents brought their children as a kind of lesson, directing them to the graves of people they never met.

“Memorial Day is about those who served and died for our country,” said Brian Mersiovsky of Austin.  “And I want those values to be passed on to my kids.”

Around Austin people placed flags outside homes and businesses.  Major Phil Kost placed dozens outside the American Legion Post on Lake Austin Boulevard, as he thought of the men and women now serving overseas.

“It is not just someone,” Major Kost said.  “It’s our neighbor who is going over there.  It’s someone’s father, mother, sister, or brother.”

Hours later, four World War II planes flew in formation over the post.  On the ground, there were comments from Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who served as an officer and pilot in the Navy.

“We are here today with a clear, strong voice to say that we remember them and we honor them,” Mayor Leffingwell said.

“We are thinking about those who are putting their lives on the line so that we can be standing here and having a celebration,” said Post Commander Cyndi Miller.

*  Story Contributed by: Andrew Horansky