Does genealogy make anyone else cry?

[twilight33]

In honor of the first Memorial Day I knew that a big brother of the little guy (my great-grandfather) in my icon was shot down over France in WWI.

In my inbox this morning from a second namesake of his on a cousin branch of the same generation:

I went to the cemetery where Jay Willis is buried. Have many photos. I
couldn't be there for Memorial Day but did put some red poppies on his
grave. When I was at the cemetery, they were putting an American and French
flag at each headstone for Memorial Day; they let me have the ones from in
front of his cross. How cool is that? I was absolutely bowled over by the
kindness of the French and by shocking numbers of dead at the Meuse-Argonne cemetery.

I find myself unable to articulate the combination of thankfulness, sadness and anger I feel that I'm having to learn about my family members from distant connections because my direct line has been silent for generations.