Virgi’s Views On This ‘n That

* On Memorial Day and Veterans Day, it is customary to spend time remembering and honoring the countless veterans who have served the United States throughout the country’s history. However, there is a distinction between the two holidays:

Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service of their country, especially those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. In essence, the purpose of Memorial Day is to remember and honor the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. So take some time this Memorial Day remembering those who lost their lives and did not come home to the freedoms we enjoy today. The National Moment of Remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.

Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL who served—in wartime or peacetime—regardless of whether they died or survived. Veterans Day is always observed officially on November 11th, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls.

* Monuments Men: During World War II, a group of men from 13 different nations joined together to serve in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program whose main objective was devoted to retrieving and protecting masterpieces stolen by Germany. These men realized that even if the war was won, victory would be meaningless without the artwork that shaped and defined history. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. oversaw this the program.

“These men — and women — worked to protect Europe’s cultural heritage at the height of World War II,” explained Earl A. Powell III, director of the National Gallery of Art, “ensuring its safety in the aftermath and returning works, when possible, to their rightful owners once peace and security were restored.” Officers not only located looted artwork and returned them to their previous holders, encountering prized works by Rembrandt, Rubens, El Greco and many more, they protected endangered Berlin museums and convinced Allied bombers to spare certain targets for their cultural importance.

Though thousands of priceless artwork and statues were tragically destroyed, lost or stolen during that time period, thousands were also saved for the world by the Monument Men and Women including Beethoven’s original manuscript of Symphony No. 6, Jan van Eck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, Signorelli’s The Crucifixion with St. Mary Magdalene, and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. I encourage everyone to read about these men and women, who saved pieces of beauty for future generations during a time of war and desperation.

* Our veterans are the bravest and finest men on earth. Donald Trump