I encourage everyone to remember the true meaning behind Memorial Day. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.
As a proud wife of a United States service member, I will not forget the meaning of this day. In our 11 years of married life, my husband has fought on foreign soil three times. He has missed the celebration of both of our children’s first birthdays, several of our anniversaries, countless holidays, dance recitals, sporting events and other special events in our lives. I do not say these things with anger or bitterness. I say them with pride. It is because of my husband and men like him, who risk their lives, that I have the opportunity to rest comfortably at night. These are the men and women who allow me to live with the freedom that I enjoy today.
Memorial Day is a day that I will spend remembering our fallen friends. Since the War in Iraq began in March 2003, 4,399 American soldiers have paid the ultimate sacrifice. In Afghanistan, the death toll has just recently reached 1,000 with the numbers growing every single day.
For some these are just numbers, but for my family these numbers represent some of our friends, our fellow soldiers and people that we knew. We can attach faces and families with some of these numbers. These are simply not numbers.
I encourage everyone to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day. I encourage you to take time out to pay tribute to the men and women of this great nation who gave up their lives for people like you and me and those who continue to serve.
I believe Zack Wamp said it best when he described an American soldier.
“With freedom comes responsibility, and I can think of no responsibility greater than putting on a U.S military uniform and standing in the gap between an enemy threat and civilian life.”
I encourage all Americans to remember that this Memorial Day.
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