Standing Post on a Day of Remembrance: Life as a Security Guard on Memorial Day

Memorial Day means something different depending on where you stand. For most Americans, it is a long weekend of barbecues, parades, and a rare Monday off. For a security guard, it is just another shift, and in some ways, a busier one than usual.

If you are working security on Memorial Day, the first thing to accept is that your job does not pause for the holiday. Crowds gather at malls, parks, stadiums, and public memorials, and where crowds gather, your presence matters. Embrace that. You are not missing the holiday so much as you are participating in it from a different angle.

Start your shift early and walk your entire post before the public arrives. Holiday crowds move differently than weekday crowds. Families come with strollers and folding chairs. Veterans arrive in groups. People are emotional, sometimes unpredictably so, because the day carries real weight for many of them. Knowing your environment before the energy picks up gives you a steadiness that no amount of radio chatter can replace.

Stay hydrated and eat a real meal before your shift. Heat and long hours on your feet are a combination that will wear you down faster than you expect, especially in late May when temperatures are climbing.

Find the meaning in what you are doing. You may be guarding a cemetery where families are laying wreaths, a parade route where veterans are marching, or a festival where kids are experiencing their first real taste of summer. In each case, you are the reason those people feel safe enough to be present and open. That is not a small thing.

When your shift ends, take a moment for yourself. Visit a memorial if one is nearby. Have the meal with your family even if it is late. Memorial Day belongs to you too, even if you experience it a few hours behind everyone else.