While nothing beats a grilled meal, every year outdoor grilling accidents cause 19,000 Emergency Room visits and 7,900 home fires.  This is the reason UL, a leading product safety organization, is sharing simple, yet critical, grilling safety temps that families need to know and use.

Before reading the tips check out this video from Underwriters Laboratories on how fast an unattended grill goes up in flames:

Prepare For Safety First:

• Keep your grill a safe distance from your house or any building whenever possible
• Never us a grill in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, under an awning or any other surface that can catch fire
• Be cautious of overhead obstruction including tree branches while grilling
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy when grilling and know how to properly use it.
• Never us gasoline or kerosene to light a charcoal fire.  Both can cause an explosion.

Safety While Cooking:

• Never leave the grill unattended, especially when young children or pets are nearby.
• Never attempt to restart a fire by adding additional lighter fluid to an already-lit grill, as this can cause a flare-up
• Keep kids, pets and bare hands away from the grill.
• Use insulated, flame retardant mitts, barbeque tongs and utensils when grilling
• Coals get HOT–up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  Wait until coals have completely cooled before disposing of them.

What did that first face of Memorial Day look like in 2009?

Memorial Day looked like people.

Where's all the girls? I'm looking so cool!

Enjoying each other's company

I love hot dogs!

Why are you taking my picture?

Can I get the whole dog in my mouth?

The face of Memorial Day 2009 was the face of food.  Lots and lots of food.

300 hot dogs grilled and eaten

Gotta have some hot links too!

Country style pork ribs.

Lots of salads to choose from

But what about the second face of Memorial Day.  Have we forgotten, except for a couple of brief news stories or brief mentions around the BBQ grill.  That other face of Memorial Day looks like this:

It’s the face of James Lacy Havins, my great, great grandfather.  A civil war doctor who braved the vicious battles between the North and South to try and save lives.  Only to end of dying without anything in a Civil War Veterans Hospital in Austin, Texas.

It’s the face of Robert Everett Gahan, my grandfather, who lied about his age to enter the Navy at age 16 and fight in two wars.

It’s the face of Charles Everett Gaian, my father, who also joined the Navy to serve in the Vietnam War.

It’s the face of numerous uncles who also served their country.

Today to me the face of Memorial Day is:

It’s the Stars and Stripes.  The American Flag.  Old Glory.

The flag now flys in front of my house 24/7 (it’s lit at night) in honor of the Matthew David Ross, my son-in-law who finds himself away from home and his new bride serving his country somewhere south of Bagdad.

God Bless all those soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who serve their country honorably so we can sit in the comfort of our chairs and stuff our faces with hot dogs and cole slaw.

If you happen to read this, would you mind leaving a comment for our service men and women.  Maybe, some way, some how one of them will find them and be comforted.