This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, the Federal Holiday during which we remember and honor those who gave their lives while serving our nation in military. This holiday was originally known as Decoration Day.
On this Memorial Day weekend, I am expressing my sincere gratitude and reverence toward everyone who gave their lives for the nation. Thank you to all who have served and are serving my country.
I also encourage you to convey your appreciation this weekend for the selflessness of those who sacrificed everything so that we may live more freely. For a mere moment, let us take our minds off the vacationing, summertime foods, and commercialization that Memorial Day brings and let us comprehend the reality of their sacrifice and what they suffered for us.
The heroic men who valiantly fought to the death for our freedom are still in their early graves, helplessly committed to their decision to put themselves in harm’s way, even if it meant forgoing the better part of their lives, for the good of their country. Place yourself in the shoes of a young Patriot in the 1770s, courageously facing the world’s greatest military, only to be slain on the battlefield, never to know if his death would be in vain or if the Thirteen Colonies would impossibly win their independence. Imagine the more than nine thousand young Americans who are at rest to this day in the foreign soil of Normandy, thousands of miles from home; none of these men would ever see their homes again.
These valorous heroes are left behind in history while we continue to enjoy the liberty their self sacrifice has purchased; the least I can do is offer my thanks. I can’t help but ask myself, how often do I improve the lives of others at the cost of my time, health, or life?
During this weekend, let us remember those who paid dearly for our freedom, who disregarded caution, faced death, and left behind a family for our benefit. As written in the song America the Beautiful: …who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.
What is your favorite account of valor?
Onward American 