MINNEAPOLIS — Through a steady downpour the 34th Infantry Division Band played on, and the elected leaders still took the stage to honor fallen veterans at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
That ocean of umbrellas gave the Memorial Day observance a different look, but the expressions of gratitude and reverence were the same ones we normally hear on this holiday.
"Our all-volunteer army is a testament to Americans of all races, genders and creeds," Maj. Gen. Jody Daniels, commander of the U.S. Army Reserve 88th Readiness Division, told the crowd.
"Our common commitment to defense and love of country binds us together and unifies us. That goes to the heart of what it means to be an American."
Gov. Tim Walz, who spent a combined 24 years in the Army and National Guard, noted that the rainy weather was a reminder of the extreme conditions members of the armed services endure for prolonged periods of time.
"Democracy is not a fair-weather sport. Democracy is not for the faint of heart," Gov. Walz asserted.
"Democracy was paid for with that sacrifice. And our responsibility – the living – is to conduct ourselves in a manner befitting their sacrifice."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is in the midst of a campaign for president, kept her annual appointment at Fort Snelling.
"We tell the world who we are as a country, by how we honor our fallen heroes," Sen. Klobuchar remarked.
"How do we do this best? Well first of all we must make sure they have a place to rest like this beautiful cemetery."
Klobuchar said she recently worked with senators from several other states to fix a inadvertent flaw in tax law that would've sharply raised taxes on survivor benefits for families of those killed in action, known as Gold Star Families.
The featured speaker was Harry Burke of Bloomington, a Korean War veteran who was part of the contingent of Marines trapped by Communist Chinese forces at Chosin Reservoir in the winter of 1950. They eventually fought their way out and created an escape route but endured heavy losses.
"We removed the dead off to the trucks to make room for our wounded," Burke recalled.
"We had a lot of heroes. I don’t call myself a hero. I just, I survived, and I did my duties."
While Burke spoke different people on the dais, including Sen. Klobuchar, took turns holding the umbrella over his head.
There are more than 220,000 graves at Fort Snelling National Cemetery for those lost in war, other veterans and their spouses.