Ink and Honor
Flash Day is May 28th, check out the flash sheets and come get a tattoo! We are registered for the My Body My Choice Tattoo Flash Event this year! Come out and support women’s rights on July 26th. Asbury Pride Parade is June 1st. Caroline will be manning the APT table. Come out and say Hi! June 13th is our next flash event. Check out the flash sheets and get some gift certificates!
Ink and Honor: How Tattoos Keep the Spirit of Memorial Day Alive
Memorial Day is a time of reflection—a solemn pause in our fast-moving lives to honor the brave souls who gave everything in service to their country. For many, the last Monday in May is marked by ceremonies, flag displays, and visits to gravesites. But for others, the tribute runs even deeper—etched permanently into skin through the powerful art of tattooing.
Tattoos as Living Memorials
Tattoos have long served as personal symbols of identity, belief, and memory. For veterans, active service members, and grieving families, a memorial tattoo offers a deeply intimate way to carry the memory of a fallen loved one, unit, or experience.
Dog tags inked over hearts. Helmets resting on rifles. Dates and names shaded into forearms. Portraits of lost brothers and sisters in arms. These tattoos are more than art—they’re sacred space.
More Than Ink: Telling a Story Without Words
Each memorial tattoo tells a story. Some are stark and minimal—a set of coordinates, a single rank insignia, a date of loss. Others are richly detailed sleeves, incorporating flags, eagles, battlefield crosses, or military patches. What unites them is their weight: these tattoos carry grief, pride, love, and resilience in equal measure.
For many, they become a source of strength. A way to remember. A way to keep the names of the fallen spoken—even silently.
Tattooers Who Understand the Weight
Many tattoo artists—especially those from military backgrounds or who regularly work with veterans—approach these pieces with reverence. They know they aren’t just creating an image; they’re helping someone heal, honor, and carry a legacy.
In recent years, Memorial Day weekend has become a time when some shops offer special sessions or fundraisers, donating proceeds to veteran organizations or tattooing fallen soldiers’ names for free.
A Permanent Reminder in a Temporary World
Unlike social media posts or flags flown once a year, a memorial tattoo never fades from view. It moves with you. Ages with you. It stands as a quiet protest against forgetting.
And while Memorial Day comes only once a year, those who wear these tattoos carry remembrance every single day.
