Memorial Day

What is the first thing that goes though your mind when you hear the words Memorial Day? What does it mean to you? What symbolization does it hold in you? Ladies and gentlemen, sadly enough, the true meaning of Memorial Day has been seemingly lost by the majority of Americans today. Many confuse this day for Veterans Day or even Armed Forces Day. Although it is highly appropriate to honor all our veterans, living and dead, and to recognize their immeasurable contributions to our country, this is not the true meaning of Memorial Day. When I asked you what the day means to you...what is symbolized to you, what went through you mind? Did you simply think of it as another federal holiday? A 3-day weekend? The beginning of the 100 days of Summer...a BBQ? Or did you think of a mother running a finger over her son's name on the Vietnam Wall...or possibly the brave marines raising the flag on top of the mountain in Iwo Jima.....or did you simply think of all the sacrifices that have been made by the brave men and women that allow us to enjoy the freedoms and liberties we enjoy today. For those of you who did indeed think of the men and women who paid the ultimate price by giving their life for a cause greater than their own, then I will tell you that you are spot on. For those of you whose initial thought was not that of the sacrifices made, well, sit back and let me remind you why we should embrace this day....to hold this day dear to our hearts. When you leave here today I will hope that you will take with you a new and renewed sense of patriotism for this day. I will ask you to teach our children and reeducate all Americans on its true meaning. I will ask that each of you ENSURE THAT PROPER RESPECT is given to those who have given all they could possibly give in their service to this incredible country. It is through their sacrifice......that we may enjoy the freedoms we have today. CAN ANYONE TELL ME why is it that many Americans are so blind and deaf to the sights and sounds of our fallen patriots? Why do they not let freedom scream in their ears and in their minds and remember? Is it simply human nature? Let's discuss how human nature can affect our thoughts and examine why our brave men and women choose to fight.

We are all aware that it is human nature to avoid the unpleasant is natural, we have an OBLIGATION to remember....to remember the price others have paid for our freedoms, and to not let those who died....who made that ultimate sacrifice be forgotten or their death be in vain. NO VICTORY is free from sorrow and every loss of life is a tragedy. It is a loss our military, our nation, and our families feel and together we grieve each and every loss. We have had more than more than 42 million men and women serve in America's military since the Revolutionary War and of those more than 1.1 million have given the ultimate sacrifice. TELL ME, IS IT HUMAN NATURE NOT to recognize that each of our fallen had dreams of their own.....dreams of going back to a way of life they once enjoyed and knew....back to family and friends....waiting for them....expecting to see them again. They all had thoughts of a future, just as we do, with plans and hopes for a long, full life. FOR SOME FAMILIES left behind, there may remain a painful memory in the form of one last kiss as the train pulled away, a final wink or wisecrack from a big brother, a brave smile from a son who seemed like a boy. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE KNOWN LOSS and has felt that absence of a loved one, Memorial Day gives formal expression to a very personal nature. Their losses can be marked, but not measured...for we can never measure the full value of what was gained by their sacrifice. DO YOU STILL FEEL IT'S HUMAN NATURE TO FORGET? If American doesn't care to remember, why do we fight at all?

The answer is both simple -- yet complex...as complex as the soul of America