It has long seemed that Americans don't take their patriotic holidays seriously. Memorial Day, Presidents' Day, Independence Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day are regarded mostly as vacation days and their significance largely ignored. But for some reason this Memorial Day appears to be different. Radio and television, newspapers and magazines, even Internet sites have run reflective pieces this weekend about remembering the war dead.

There also seem to be a growing number of people observing the day at cemeteries. In Seattle, for example, there is a little cemetery near my home--part of a park--dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic, that is, to Union soldiers who settled here after the Civil War. A local group has helped restore the gravestones and otherwise maintain the grounds. It held a brief service there yesterday and the local news stations covered the event.

Some 10,000 Union soldiers immigrated to the Seattle area when the city was only 15 years old and Washington was still a Territory. One sees hints of New England and the Middle West in older residential parts of the city. Boston Street is near the GAR Cemetery, as are Boylston Street, Harvard Avenue and--imagine this!--Republican Street.

The United States of America has three wars going today. Prayers for the hallowed dead are joined by prayers for the honored service members in harm's way right now.