For some people, Memorial Day is simply an extra day off, a three-day weekend that unofficially kicks off summer.
But not for everyone.
Not for families who have lost loved ones in the line of battle, like Susan McClamrock.
McClamrock’s son, U.S. Army Private First Class James McClamrock, a native of Huntersville, N.C., was killed in action Sept. 7, 2010 at Balad Air Base in Iraq. Shot seven times by an insurgent during a mission, James died in valiant service to his unit and his country.
“Memorial Day is very hard. It’s very bittersweet,” Susan McClamrock says.