Memorial Day, 1970.

The article focuses on a personal account of a Memorial Day protest in Rockton, Illinois, in 1970, where a group of local residents, including the author and his friend Jerry, staged a symbolic anti-war demonstration by carrying a life-sized coffin replica in the town parade to honor those affected by the Vietnam War. The protest involved placing the coffin at the cemetery flagpole during the ceremony, drawing mixed reactions from the community and media attention. The narrative also reflects on the participants' backgrounds, their motivations rooted in opposition to the war, and the broader social context of the era, including their later involvement in a communal living experiment. The account provides insight into grassroots anti-war activism in a small Midwestern town during the Vietnam War period.