Editor's Notebook: Memorial Day Memorialized at Last... or Hey! I Didn't Know My Camera Did That

You are probably wondering why am I putting up photos from Memorial Day when it's nearly Labor Day. Or perhaps you are not wondering that at all, and are instead just happy to see the nice pictures of children and noteworthy locals taking part in a patriotic ceremony.

In either event, an explanation is coming your way. I attended the event at the request of Springfield Committee member Marc Krauss, a retired Army Officer who attended Sandmeier Elementary School's ceremony in his military formal wear. 

The ceremony was great. Sandmeier students read poems dedicated to lost soldiers and placed paper roses near a Memorial Day sign. I got shots of Krauss and the kids, as well as outgoing Sandmeier principal Michael Antolino. And the kids were dressed in bright, splashy clothes for the school spirit day activities that took place that day, so it was a nice mixture of proper display of respect and the energy and joy of childhood. 

Plus, I got to take photos of, and hang out with, one of my favorite Springfield residents,  World War II veteran and American Legion Post 228-Springfield president Ethel C. Smith. Smith is the unstoppable force that herds Springfield's veterans for Memorial and Veterans Day Parades; her World War II nurse's uniform is on display at the lobby of Jonathan Dayton High School. 

It was a pretty nice afternoon, But when I came home to load the photos, they were gone. The camera showed no record of the shots having ever existed. I figured I had overclocked the camera's memory and lost the day forever. I deleted all the photos off my camera to make sure it never happened again. Then I ran into Krauss weeks later at the library and apologized.

Then, this week, something odd occurred. I was futzing around with my camera while it was connected to my computer. A file appeared on my desktop marked "Private." I clicked it and found my pictures from that day.

I don't know why a camera would have a function where it hides pictures from its owners. The only circumstances I could think of that being a useful feature involve spying or plot points from "Total Recall." 

But, the upshot is that the pictures are available now.

Enjoy. 

Editor's note: The article originally identified Marc Krauss as a retired Marine. He is not. He is a retired Army officer. We regret the error.