I think it's somewhat disappointing that there wasn't a special Memorial Day cover page for the weekend because, although I think my own Memorial Day post is pretty cool, I feel bad that that post is hanging out alone there, when there have been so many other stellar pieces of writing in remembrance of those who gave so much in our nation's defense. I published early to "beat the rush", but publishing something first shouldn't mean that other work is ignored.

A couple of the posts below have received well-deserved EPs, but they are still not on the front page. Maybe it will be changed on Monday, but just in case, I thought it would be good to create a post that reflects what the cover should have looked like all weekend.  (A word to the Editor:  Open Salon may be, overall, filled with left-leaning non-conformists, but we can also be a rather patriotic and sentimental bunch, so I think we like to see holidays like Memorial Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Veterans' Day recognized with theme-oriented cover pages. Perhaps an open call in advance of the holiday, to give everyone a chance to publish something in time for the weekend?)

I have done my best to collect in one place all of the fine posts for Memorial Day 2012. Some are already very popular, but some may have slipped through the cracks. If I have missed any, please PM me with a link. I realize there will probably be more posts coming today, tomorrow and Monday, and I will try and update when time permits. I am hopeful that many of these will end up on the front page on Monday.

SpiritManSF:  To My Father-For the Love of Soldiers!

Scanner:  The War Whistler

kenneth houck:  Memorial Day-Shell Shock

Boanerges1:  Reflections on Memorial Day (Update)

Ben Railton:  May 26-27, 2012:  Memory and Memorials

Ben Railton:  May 28, 2012:  Remembering Joshua Chamberlain 

Steel Breeze:  No Words Necessary...

Barbara Weicksel:  Memorial Day 101

Kim Tutt:  Remembering Always

jlsathre:  In Memory of a Soldier I Never Knew

Blinddream:  Memorial 

MichelleD:  Army Strong

jmac1949:  War Stories:  A Convoluted Salute to Memorial Day

mary gravitt:  Memorial Day~A Day of Reflection On No-Peace and No-War

toritto:  High Indeed the Price of Honor

toritto:  Chevy Van (Repost)

toritto:  The Messenger - 1967 (Repost)

toritto:  The Wall (Repost)

toritto:  Green Cathedral - For Memorial Day (Repost)

toritto:  Death of the Monk

toritto:  Tearless the Enemies of Peace (Repost)

toritto:  Picasso in Kandahar (Repost)

(toritto has been very busy this week! And I always say, if you didn't see it the first time, it's new to you!) 

Leon Freilich:  Memorial Day 2012 

James M. Emmerling:  My Memorial Day Post to the Warriors I Have Known

janicephelpswilliams:  How We Remember Together:  Public Memorials and More Memorials:  How We Remember Together, Part Two

SheilaTGTG55:  This Memorial Day & One American Soldier 

Chicago Guy:  A Soldier Comes Home 

Blinddream:  A Soldier's Story

Joan H.:  Memorial Day in Washington, D.C. 

Spike the Chicken:  From the War 

Kent Pitman:  Accelerated Memorials 

middle aged woman talking:  For My Father on Memorial Day 

cheshyre grin:  I don't feel like a hero. (An alternative viewpoint, but relevant.)

Pensive Person:  Pancakes in Honor of a Marine 

Steven Rockford:  Our fallen soldiers 

older/exasperated:  Memorial Day Reflections:  A Soldier's Thoughts 

Brassawe:  My Memorial Day Memory 

Don Rich:  What Memorial Day Reminds Us Of:  Most Important Citizens  

Jali 17:  A Service Man Always In My Heart

Cranky Cuss:  For Memorial Day:  Let There Be Light 

Jeremiah Horrigan:  Making Peace with the Point 

Natalie K. Munden:  From Under a Black Sky:  Thanks for Serving in Vietnam

Jonathan Huie:  Memorial Day 

froggy:  Memorial Day Song 

amputeemommy:  Happy Memorial Day! 

Paul Nevins:  Memorial Day, 2012 

toritto:  Peace Train (a repost) 

Chicago Guy:  Willing To Lay Down All My Joys

Sam Post:  Memorial Day:  Thinking about peace (video) 

Blu Speck:  In Memory of a Fallen Marine 

Hesham A. Hassaballa:  Grateful on This Day 

Peter Breschard:  Almost 70 Years Ago 

CoyoteOldStyle:  The Last Full Measure 

Lynn Colwell:  We Remember 

SheilaTGTG55:  You at Arlington 

Reflections of a shallow pond:  One Hero's Story 

Just Thinking...:  Fighter Planes, Video Games, and my Brother's Father

Francesca Biller:  Honoring Japanese-American World War II Veterans 

Cindy Prochnow:  In memory, Pearl Harbor, a teenage survivor's poem 

Amy A:  An Old Man Visits The Wall 

Spike The Chicken:  Memorial Day 

Spike The Chicken:  From the War 

As always, it's an honor and a pleasure to be part of such a fine community of writers and thinkers. 

P.S. No need to rate or comment on this post.  Just click on the links above that you haven't read yet and get them back into the feed and onto the Top Rated list!

P.P.S.  I am glad to see the other two Memorial Day EPs on the cover today (Sunday).