From solemn to sun-seeking, metro-area residents celebrated Memorial Day in different ways and in different venues.
Many attended memorial services for America’s war dead in local community parks and gardens. There were speeches and prayers offered along with mournful and patriotic songs.
None of that was offered at a statue in the corner of Berry Park in Littleton. A small pile of flowers and an American flag rested at the statue’s feet and a few people stopped by to pay their respects to the bronze likeness of Navy SEAL Danny Dietz.
Dietz was killed June 28, 2005, in Afghanistan. Badly wounded, Dietz fought off al-Qaeda fighters for 45 minutes to defend three other SEALs. Two years ago, Littleton unveiled the Dietz statue.
Those who came by said they admired the monument’s simplicity. “It’s a good setting,” said one man, his lip quivering as a light drizzle began to settle in.
“I like it, it’s a nice little place,” said Doug Greene, who slowly circled Dietz’s statue with his wife, Sandy.
“For what I heard about him, he was a really humble guy. He’d probably be stunned by this statue and attention,” Greene said.
At earlier ceremonies, it was all about showering those who died in America’s wars with much-needed attention. About 200 people honored Littleton’s fallen at the Littleton Cemetery and World War II Memorial.
Many veterans were heartened to see several children at the ceremony. But they lamented the lack of Iraq war veterans joining local VFW and American Legion posts.
“I can certainly understand why,” said Allan Stone, past commander of VFW Post 4666. “They are starting their lives, and they don’t want to be reminded of war and what they had to do there.”
“But we are here to help them,” Stone said, “and to offer them friendship.”
Those who attended Memorial Day ceremonies kept nervous eyes on the skies, which delivered rain off and on all day Monday.
But that didn’t hinder people from trying to enjoy fishing and dog-walking at South Platte Reservoir and Park in Littleton. A small break in the clouds ushered people into the park to soak in some fleeting sunshine.
“We just wanted a little sun, so we decided to come out and give the dogs some exercise,” said Kristina Dusevic, who tried to control Puma and Sharik before they hit the trail around the reservoir.
Sloppy weather is not unusual for this time of year, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Kalina. “This is typically the wettest time of the year for Colorado,” said Kalina, adding the humidity should start dissipating today.
Motorists weren’t bothered by wet roads around he state, said Colorado State Patrol Trooper David Hall.
Traffic moved smoothly around the metro area as it did at the Eisenhower Tunnel, Hall said. “All in all,” he said, “it’s a fairly typical Memorial Day.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
