Memorial Day
People say, happy Memorial Day. To me that is a bit of an oxymoron. How can we be happy, excited, and care free on a day when we are supposed to be remembering our fallen Heroes? I think of the Walls throughout this Country of Ours that have carved, in stone, for all to see, the names of many, many thousands of brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Each and every one of these chose to willingly, consciously join the military, knowing they may never see their Home Country again. They knew may never see their parents again, their family, their husband or wife, perhaps sons and daughters. They did it all so that you and I may live everyday without a care in the world.
They lived in dirty, damp, filthy trenches day after day, night after night, round after round of enemy fire, for you. For me. For the person who picketed outside the military recruiting station.
I think about each name and think, how did he (or she) die? Were they on the Beaches of Normandy that fateful day? Were they at Pearl Harbor on that fateful December morning? Or were they somewhere else you and I have never even dreamed or heard of? What were they doing at their inopportune moment? Were they thinking of their loved ones at home? No matter where they were, how they died, or when it was, each has a story. Each one had a family of sorts at home that missed them ever since. I have my family. Most of you have your family.
On this Memorial Day, let us be thankful for each of these. And let us not forget the Heroes that fought and had to die for this great Country. They loved this Country and died for this Country. Don't disappoint them and take it in vain.
-Eli
