Memorial Day is a true American holiday filled with barbecues, patriotic tunes and explosive pyrotechnics. But it’s also a time a honor the men and women who bravely served their country, both in times of peace and during the nation’s most difficult moments.

East Dallas resident Mark De Cardenas was drafted into the Army in Vietnam. Photo by Danny Fulgencio

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Here at the Advocate, we honored East Dallas veterans with a cover story in November 2015. It offers a helpful reflection of what our military members face on and off the battlefield, told by your neighbors, an Army medic in Iraq, an Air Force logistical expert assigned to the Pentagon in the wake of 9/11, a flight medic who saw heavy combat in Vietnam, a Purple Heart veteran from WWII and a field artillery officer on the front lines in Korea.

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will be celebrating the holiday tonight at Flag Pole Hill. The free evening begins with a patriotic performance at 8:15 p.m. followed by a fireworks display. Families are encouraged to bring a blanket and arrive early to picnic before the show.