Honor Our Fallen....
On this Memorial Day I wanted to pass along something that I heard Friday on the radio. So many holdiays have lost their meaning and this day is no different. I find it very sad how many people dont even know what this day is for other than a day of sales and BBQs. Please take a minute and remember those who have given their lives for this country and the families they have left behind. Please keep those currently serving in your thoughts and prayers. And if you get a chance, remind those around you what this day is really about. Lets honor our fallen.
Mary
Proud Army Wife
From Kidd Kraddick in the Morning:
If you were new to America and you went by what you see and hear on TV and radio, you might be convinced that Memorial Day is the one weekend a year to save big money on cars and electronics. You almost never hear the words Memorial Day anymore unless they're followed by the word "sale".
For the past week, we've talked about Memorial Day about a hundred times. We've talked about JC and Al's trip to Mexico and how much gas is gonna cost for your roadtrip. People always complain that we’ve lost the true meaning of Christmas or Easter. I think the attention we give Memorial Day is the holiday we should be most embarrassed about. Unlike Christmas or Easter, remembering our fallen soldiers doesn't require that you be Christian or Jew or Muslim. Just American. Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, pro-war, anti-war. We should all come together on this day…not the whole weekend…just Monday, and remember what the holiday means and how we’re supposed to observe it.
When America was trying to recover from the Civil War, nearly every family in this country felt the direct loss. Imagine a country one fourth the size it is now and then imagine nearly 700 THOUSAND casualties. On those first few memorial days, I’m pretty sure they didn't celebrate with hot dogs and three day weekends and a sale on video games.
In the last four years, Memorial Day has meant something for the first time to hundreds of families. Families who've been through the scope of emotions that started with pride of service, fear of loss, and finally numbing grief that the person they love is gone forever. Ask the families and they usually won't use the word hero. Instead they'll use words like "friend", "brother", "son", "confidant", "full-of-life", "passionate", and sincere.
Just my opinion, but Monday is not the day to debate the war in Iraq. It's offensive. It's offensive to say our soldiers died in a meaningless war. It's equally offensive to defend the cause. On this day it is. We've got 364 other days for that. Memorial Day to me isn't about war or all the feelings that go along with it. It's about individuals who chose to serve in the United States Military, they chose to follow orders and they made the ultimate sacrifice.
Chances are there is a veterans' cemetery within a few miles of you. You'll find many soldiers buried there who returned from the war and lived full, productive lives. But you'll no doubt find a bunch of headstones that tell the story of an abbreviated life. Each of those markers represents the crushed dream of a wife, a parent, a brother.
Mary
Proud Army Wife
From Kidd Kraddick in the Morning:
If you were new to America and you went by what you see and hear on TV and radio, you might be convinced that Memorial Day is the one weekend a year to save big money on cars and electronics. You almost never hear the words Memorial Day anymore unless they're followed by the word "sale".
For the past week, we've talked about Memorial Day about a hundred times. We've talked about JC and Al's trip to Mexico and how much gas is gonna cost for your roadtrip. People always complain that we’ve lost the true meaning of Christmas or Easter. I think the attention we give Memorial Day is the holiday we should be most embarrassed about. Unlike Christmas or Easter, remembering our fallen soldiers doesn't require that you be Christian or Jew or Muslim. Just American. Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, pro-war, anti-war. We should all come together on this day…not the whole weekend…just Monday, and remember what the holiday means and how we’re supposed to observe it.
When America was trying to recover from the Civil War, nearly every family in this country felt the direct loss. Imagine a country one fourth the size it is now and then imagine nearly 700 THOUSAND casualties. On those first few memorial days, I’m pretty sure they didn't celebrate with hot dogs and three day weekends and a sale on video games.
In the last four years, Memorial Day has meant something for the first time to hundreds of families. Families who've been through the scope of emotions that started with pride of service, fear of loss, and finally numbing grief that the person they love is gone forever. Ask the families and they usually won't use the word hero. Instead they'll use words like "friend", "brother", "son", "confidant", "full-of-life", "passionate", and sincere.
Just my opinion, but Monday is not the day to debate the war in Iraq. It's offensive. It's offensive to say our soldiers died in a meaningless war. It's equally offensive to defend the cause. On this day it is. We've got 364 other days for that. Memorial Day to me isn't about war or all the feelings that go along with it. It's about individuals who chose to serve in the United States Military, they chose to follow orders and they made the ultimate sacrifice.
Chances are there is a veterans' cemetery within a few miles of you. You'll find many soldiers buried there who returned from the war and lived full, productive lives. But you'll no doubt find a bunch of headstones that tell the story of an abbreviated life. Each of those markers represents the crushed dream of a wife, a parent, a brother.