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Memorial Day means different things to different people, of course. For some, it's just a day off, a day to barbecue and be with family. But it's meant as a day to remember all of America's fallen soldiers from all of the wars this country has been involved in.

I began this project as merely a chance to capture a few striking images for my personal portfolio. I decided on Memorial Day in particular for a couple of reasons. I'm moving to Oregon soon, and realized I had never been to any Memorial Day remembrances and wanted to capture my first experience on film. The reverence and seriousness of the day are aspects I wanted to convey in these photographs. There's so much happening on a day like this that it's easy to miss the little things that go on around us. I found myself swept up in the emotion and patriotism of the day.

The ceremonies began shortly after 9 a.m. at the Civil War memorial in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Arriving at 8:30 a.m., I watched as a mother, son, and daughter brought out an American flag and a flag for the Interveterans Council and placed them both up in front of a tent set up by the cemetery. Many people from different veterans and remembrance groups brought wreaths to place at the base of the American flag, which was flown at half mast.

As I watched these people arrive, I was struck by their shared experiences of war, by either having been in one or having lost someone to one. Watching how they interacted with each other I realized how much comfort comes from having shared such experiences.

In one photo, an older man laughs with a younger boy. With this particular photo I wanted to show how the day involved all ages. Growing up, there were events our parents and grandparents took us to, and most of the time I'm sure we never quite saw what they wanted us to see. Here I envision this boy trying to figure out how everything is supposed to go. This older man, whether he's a grandfather or not, appears to laugh at his innocence as he "shows him the ropes."

As I stood there watching everyone greet each other, the sounds of the Springfield Municipal Band could be heard coming from around the corner playing the "Star Spangled Banner," which would begin the ceremony. As band members rounded the corner you could make out the shadows of the color guard walking with the sun behind them.

The color guard consisted of men and women, young and old, all flying the colors of the American flag and the flag of their individual group. I was amazed to see that there were people representing wars as far back as the Revolutionary War. At the ceremony, the crowd saluted the flag, laid their wreaths, and listened to a speech about the origins of Memorial Day.

I stood on a hill overlooking the ceremonies that would take place throughout the day. I noticed both a somberness and reverence: a sort of quiet, internal salute to our fallen soldiers. I couldn't help but be thankful for what these men and women had done.

The first ceremony concluded with the firing of rifles, a salute, and the playing of "Taps." As the ceremony concluded, the wreaths were gathered, the flags were taken down, and everyone moved on to the Vietnam Memorial.

The ceremonies at the Vietnam Memorial had a different feel, maybe because of the controversy regarding our involvement in the war or the sacredness of the names of the fallen soldiers etched in stone.

In one photo, there's a couple standing in front of the Vietnam Memorial. This image is a cliché to me, but considering the context, such an image never seems to lose its power. I see the man telling his wife, significant other, friend, or relative what "it" was like. I'm sure the words spoken were as good as that from any movie script.

The master of ceremonies asked that the color guard present their colors. All of the color guard surrounded the Vietnam Memorial in a very elegant and poignant display. With the flags behind him, the speaker stepped to the podium and talked of the importance of Memorial Day. He spoke of a theme that became common throughout the day, which was "remember to remember." The longer we are afforded the luxury of living in a relatively peaceful time, the more we're likely to forget what it has cost us to get here.

As the Vietnam ceremony drew to a close there were no rifle shots or Taps played, only the announcement of the next ceremony and that there would be food at the various VFW halls.

With two ceremonies under my belt, I toyed with the idea of going home, figuring that I had enough photos for my project. But I decided to stay for the ceremony at the Korean War Monument just a short walk away.

Like the others before, the Korean War ceremony began with the displaying of the color guard around the memorial. There was a short prayer and then the final speaker stepped to the podium.

I can't remember his name, but his message was to respect the flag, our country, and remembrance. He spoke of an experience with a younger person who told him patriotism was corny. This is where the "remember to remember" theme came into play for me. We should use Memorial Day to remind ourselves what freedom sometimes costs.

It occurred to me as I was on this self-assignment that I've taken this freedom for granted. With this being the first time I had ever been to a Memorial Day service, I developed a greater respect for our nation's veterans. I hope the accompanying photos convey that respect.