Photo Credit: Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Lafayette’s Memorial Day: Honoring the Sacrifice Behind America’s Freedom

Some mornings in Lafayette feel different.

Memorial Day is one of them.

The light seems quieter. The streets slow down. Even the Colorado wind, which usually rushes through town with purpose, feels softer and more respectful for a few hours.

In Lafayette, Memorial Day has never been about noise.

It is about memory.

A Day to Remember the Fallen

Memorial Day is not simply another three day weekend. It is a day set aside to honor the men and women who gave their lives while serving the United States.

It is about the young soldier who never had the chance to grow old.

It is about folded American flags handed carefully to grieving families.

It is about names engraved into memorials, photographs fading with time, and stories still shared around dinner tables decades later.

And here in Lafayette, those memories remain alive.

At VFW Mile High Post 1771, veterans continue serving long after their uniforms have been folded away. The post may appear modest from the outside, but inside lives something far bigger than the building itself.

Camaraderie.

Support.

Patriotism.

And a quiet understanding shared between people who have experienced things most Americans can only imagine.

Photo Credit: Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Freedom Was Never Free

“Freedom was never free” is a phrase often repeated on Memorial Day.

But in Lafayette, it still carries real meaning.

You can see it when local residents place small American flags near memorials and cemeteries.

You can hear it when “Taps” begins to play and conversations suddenly stop.

You can feel it when an older veteran stands a little straighter during the national anthem.

For many veterans, Memorial Day is deeply personal. It is a reminder of friends who never came home.

That kind of sacrifice never fades with time.

How Memorial Day Changes as We Grow Older

As children, many of us saw Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer.

Barbecues.

Sunshine.

Time with family and friends.

A welcome day away from work or school.

But eventually, life changes our perspective.

We begin to understand what sacrifice truly costs.

Memorial Day becomes more personal.

It becomes about gratitude.

Not loud gratitude.

Quiet gratitude.

The kind you feel standing beneath a deep Colorado blue sky while rows of American flags move gently in the breeze.

Photo Credit: Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Why Lafayette Understands the Meaning of Community

Lafayette has always carried a certain sense of decency.

A respect for neighbors.

A respect for service.

A respect for history.

That is part of what makes Memorial Day feel so meaningful here. Lafayette still remembers something important that many communities have forgotten: people matter.

Community matters.

Service matters.

And remembering matters.

Especially today.

A Simple Thank You Can Mean Everything

If you pass a veteran this Memorial Day, take a moment to pause.

Say thank you.

Shake a hand.

Listen to a story if one is offered.

Sometimes the smallest gestures carry the greatest meaning.

And if you see an American flag flying somewhere in Lafayette this Memorial Day, remember what it represents.

Every flag stands for somebody’s child.

Somebody’s spouse.

Somebody’s best friend.

Somebody who gave everything.

Shared Knowledge Is Power

Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Lenny Frieling Pen Of Justice

• Multi-published and widely syndicated blogger and author.
• Most recently published by Amazon, his first book, "Lensworth"a book of his prize-winning photos.
• University lectures at University of Colorado, Boulder, Denver University Law School, Univ. of New Mexico, Las Vegas NM, and many other schools at all levels. Numerous lectures for the NORML Legal Committee
• Former Judge
• Media work, including starring in episodes of Fox’s Power of Attorney, well in excess of many hundreds media interviews, appearances, articles, and podcasts, including co-hosting Time For Hemp for two years.
• Life Member, NORML Legal Committee, Distinguished Counsel Circle.
• Photographer of the Year, AboutBoulder 2023
• First Chair and Originator of the Colorado Bar Association’s Cannabis Law Committee, a National first.
• Previous Chair, Boulder Criminal Defense Bar (8 years)
• Twice chair Executive Counsel, Colorado Bar Association Criminal Law Section
• Life Member, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
• Board Member Emeritus, Colorado NORML, and prior chair during legalization, as well as pre and post legalization
• Chair, Colorado NORML, 7 years including during the successful effort to legalize recreational pot in Colorado
• Senior Counsel Emeritus to the Boulder Law firm Dolan + Zimmerman LLP : (720)-610-0951
• Board member, Author, and Editor for Criminal Law Articles for the Colorado Lawyer, primary publication of the Colorado Bar Assoc. 7 Years, in addition to having 2 Colorado Lawyer cover photos, and numerous articles for the Colorado Lawyer monthly publication.
• http://www.Lfrieling.com