Winn-Dixie and Walmart pull fireworks to honor meaning of Memorial Day

Stores pull fireworks off shelves for Memorial Day
No fireworks sold before Memorial Day following complaints
Troy Moon • tmoon@pnj.com • March 2, 2010


Two major shopping chains will not sell fireworks leading up to Memorial Day, in response to area veterans who complained that the companies were commercializing a day meant to honor fallen military members.

Walmart and Winn-Dixie will not sell fireworks at any of its stores throughout the United States until after Memorial Day, May 31.

"Wow, this is a start," said Mike Esmond, 63, a Vietnam veteran from Gulf Breeze who spearheaded a letter-writing campaign to keep fireworks from the stores until after the holiday. "Hopefully, we can keep Memorial Day to what it was intended to be — a solemn day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice."

In November, Walmart agreed to withhold the fireworks at its more than 4,000 U.S. stores until after Memorial Day.

Winn-Dixie decided this month to do the same at its 515 stores across five states.
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