I originally wrote
this in 2012. It received so many
positive comments that I decided to repost it every year, just as it was
written then. God bless our troops and
their families as we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service
to our country.
Memorial Day
Weekend
What will you be doing this weekend? Attending a cookout, going on a picnic,
boating, beachin’ it, maybe attending a parade?
Maybe you will be going to Washington, DC. to participate in the
festivities (or more aptly put, the honoring of memories) and be lucky enough
to see Rolling Thunder pass through. http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/RollingThunder.htm
Have we, as a nation, forgotten the true purpose of
Memorial Day? Do our children know what
Memorial Day is really about?
Memorial Day has become a weekend of fun for many
families. It has also become a day to
remember anyone who has passed away. I
dare say, most families do not need a special day to remember a loved one who
is no longer with them.
As a reminder… Memorial Day is a day to honor, and
respectfully remember, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our
country. This is a great link about the
history of Memorial Day - http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html.
This year is especially dear to my family. You see, our son is in the Army. Two soldiers from his platoon did not return
from their deployment, about six months ago.
I know those men are never far from their buddies thoughts, and I
imagine this weekend may be tough for them.
My husband and I will be spending our time working on the yard and
grilling out, here at home. I can tell
you though, that we will be remembering those brave souls who gave their lives
so that we may continue to live in the land of the free. We will offer up prayers for the family
members, friends, and battle buddies who lost loved ones in the wars.
Yes, America IS at war.
It may not seem like it here on US soil, but American service members
put their lives on the line, every hour of every day, so that we may enjoy our
freedom here in the good ole’ USA. Not
only are our deployed military losing their lives, but many of our troops here
at home lose the battle of struggling to survive with TBI (Traumatic Brain
Injury) and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The unseen wounds of war continue to take a
toll on our returning veterans.
Did you know the President passed a resolution in 2000
about a moment of silence on Memorial Day?
I don’t think I knew that. I came
across it in my research for this blog.
Here it is - http://www.usmemorialday.org/Speeches/President/may0200.txt
In short, it calls for a moment of silence at 3PM on each
Memorial Day.
I do not mean to take away anyone’s fun. I apologize if this blog has been a
downer. It is meant to be an eye-opener,
a reminder. Yes, ENJOY your long weekend,
but please do take a moment at 3PM on Monday to remember those who gave all,
and those who live on without them.
Let me leave you with one more link. It’s a video, it’s been around before. It’s a tearjerker, but it’s a great video.
Have a great weekend!
HOOAH!
