Tag: Memorial Day

Thinking About the Cost of Freedom (Updated)

A number of people contacted me about this post and wondered whether I still feel the same way about Memorial Day. The fact of the matter is that I feel even more strongly that the need to recognize the ultimate sacrifice made by fellow Americans to assure our freedom should take precedence on this day. As I read about the overwhelming odds faced by veterans in the newspaper, magazines, online, and in various veteran’s sources, I become even more aware of the lifelong commitment that anyone who has spent time in the military makes. Some things simply can’t be fixed—the commitment, the sacrifice, and the awful truth of the outcome of decisions made to help our country are permanent. Those who made the ultimate sacrifice paid the highest price of all to ensure that everyone else can enjoy the freedom this country has to offer.

For many people, Memorial Day, which is also known as Decoration Day, is simply another day to spend time with friends and family. Of course, every veteran would agree that the reason for the sacrifice is so that people could spend time with friends and family. Everyone loves a good picnic or barbecue and being free to gather as we wish is important. The freedom to do what you want, when you want to do it, is an important right. Memorial Day is all about remembering, at least for a moment, the cost of that freedom.

I’m writing this post on Friday. Like many people, I won’t be in my office today. In fact, I’m making it a true day off—I’m not even bringing my computers up. About now, I’ve spent some time thinking about the guys I served with in the Navy and said a prayer for their well being. I’ve also thought about all those people who came before me and have served since my time—people who gave of themselves. However, I have to wonder just how many people have thought of those who died (or even the veterans who managed to live through it all).

In preparing for the post today, I wanted to find something interesting—something I haven’t discussed in years past. It was a bit surprising that Google returned all sorts of unexpected results. The first entry was from Wikipedia, which is quite nice, but hardly noteworthy. However, the next several entries were about the things that could (and should) surround Memorial Day, but didn’t discuss the main event at all. There were entries about the weather, finding the food you need for your picnic, the potential for wet conditions ruining the Memorial Day celebration, and an ad for Travelocity. At least I didn’t go ten straight entries without finding something worthwhile. The next entry was a CNN presentation of the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. I then went another 14 entries before I found something that was actually related to Memorial Day. So, out of the top 20 hits on Google, 18 of them talked about the weather, picnics, travel, television shows, and all sorts of things that really don’t have anything to do with Memorial Day.

Fortunately, you don’t have to follow the crowd. You can choose to celebrate the true meaning of Memorial Day, which is to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure you have the freedom to live as you wish to live. Take time this Memorial Day to provide a moment of silence at your picnic or other festivity. No one is asking you to be somber for the rest of the day, just to take a quick time out in remembrance. After all, all those fellows in Arlington (and other cemeteries worldwide) thought your freedom was worth far more than a moment of silence, they gave their lives to attain it.

 

Thinking About the Cost of Freedom

For many people, Memorial Day, which is also known as Decoration Day, is simply another day to spend time with friends and family. Of course, every veteran would agree that the reason for the sacrifice is so that people could spend time with friends and family. Everyone loves a good picnic or barbecue and being free to gather as we wish is important. The freedom to do what you want, when you want to do it, is an important right. Memorial Day is all about remembering, at least for a moment, the cost of that freedom.

I’m writing this post on Friday. Like many people, I won’t be in my office today. In fact, I’m making it a true day off—I’m not even bringing my computers up. About now, I’ve spent some time thinking about the guys I served with in the Navy and said a prayer for their well being. I’ve also thought about all those people who came before me and have served since my time—people who gave of themselves. However, I have to wonder just how many people have thought of those who died (or even the veterans who managed to live through it all).

In preparing for the post today, I wanted to find something interesting—something I haven’t discussed in years past. It was a bit surprising that Google returned all sorts of unexpected results. The first entry was from Wikipedia, which is quite nice, but hardly noteworthy. However, the next several entries were about the things that could (and should) surround Memorial Day, but didn’t discuss the main event at all. There were entries about the weather, finding the food you need for your picnic, the potential for wet conditions ruining the Memorial Day celebration, and an ad for Travelocity. At least I didn’t go ten straight entries without finding something worthwhile. The next entry was a CNN presentation of the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. I then went another 14 entries before I found something that was actually related to Memorial Day. So, out of the top 20 hits on Google, 18 of them talked about the weather, picnics, travel, television shows, and all sorts of things that really don’t have anything to do with Memorial Day.

Fortunately, you don’t have to follow the crowd. You can choose to celebrate the true meaning of Memorial Day, which is to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure you have the freedom to live as you wish to live. Take time this Memorial Day to provide a moment of silence at your picnic or other festivity. No one is asking you to be somber for the rest of the day, just to take a quick time out in remembrance. After all, all those fellows in Arlington (and other cemeteries worldwide) thought your freedom was worth far more than a moment of silence, they gave their lives to attain it.

 

Memorial Day – A Time of Remembrance (Reposted)

A number of people have asked me to repost this particular blog entry. As you know, this upcoming weekend is Memorial Day, which is a time we should remember the sacrifices made by our military to keep us free. So, without further adieu…

Many Americans have lost sight of the significance of Memorial Day. For them it has become a time to party—to celebrate something, anything. I spent 10 years of my life in the Navy serving my country—I
look on it as the hardest 10 years of my life. Fortunately, I was never
called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice that so many people have.
Although I’m sure that most of these dear departed liked a good party as
much as anyone else, it’s also important to remember why we’re taking a
day off.

Our freedom cost many lives. In fact, our freedom is
drenched in the blood of all of those who heeded their country’s call to
duty. Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the extreme sacrifice of
those who have fought and died to ensure that you can be safe in your
bed each night, exercise control over your government, and choose to do
things like protest an unpopular decision made by those in office. In
fact, they died to ensure that you’d also have the choice to do
absolutely nothing at all—yes,
it’s a privilege to decide what to do and when to do it, even if that
means doing nothing. During my time in the service, I saw how many
people in the world live and I truly wouldn’t want to live like them. I
consider America the greatest country in the world—God has truly blessed us.

I
won’t deny that celebrating the lives of those who fought for our
freedom is a good idea. However, take a few minutes to also think about
the sacrifice these people have made on your behalf. If you see a
service member, be sure to thank them for the time they spent serving
your needs—usually in less than happy conditions. Memorial Day is much more than another holiday—it’s
a time to reflect on just how good people have it in this country. Make
your Memorial Day celebration special this year, take time to consider
just how valuable your freedoms are and the price someone paid to get
them. If you want some other ways to observe the holiday, check out How to Observe Memorial Day.

There won’t be a blog entry from me on Monday.  Please come back starting on Wednesday for my regular blog entries.

 

Remembering the Past and Honoring the Present

I’m out of the office today and I hope that you’re making time for family as you celebrate Memorial Day, which is also called Decoration Day. I’ve written about the basis and rituals behind Memorial day before: Honoring Those Who Gave Their All and Memorial Day – A Time of Remembrance. The short story is that this is the day you remember those who have given their all to ensure your freedom. Even though the day was started as a means to remember those who fought and died in the Civil War, the day has come to emphasize the need to remember everyone who has died in every war in which Americans have fought. The price for your freedom is extraordinarily high—paid for in the blood of fallen sailors, soldiers, airmen, and marines. Our need to preserve and cherish our freedoms, no matter how you might believe, is as great as the price these people have paid.

I know that most people will take today and spend time with family. That’s a good thing to do as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think that anyone who has given their all for you will mind even a little and would probably be right there with you if they could. However, spending a few minutes considering the immense gift these individuals have given you is important too. When we forget their gift to us, we begin down the road of losing the freedoms for which they fought so hard. A time of remembrance is essential if we are to learn from history and potentially avoid the mistakes we’ve made in the past.

Today is also a good day to thank the living. Yes, I know we have Veterans Day set aside as a specific time for thanking a vet, but letting the living know that we appreciate their efforts is never misplaced. So, while you’re taking time out to grill a steak on the barbecue, consider the gift that you’ve received in the past and thank someone who is giving of their time now. The person you thank today could very well be the person you remember tomorrow.

 

Honoring Those Who Gave Their All

I decided to give all of the other posts that are running around in my head a break today to talk about Memorial Day. I would imagine that many people are already starting their holiday, or if they haven’t, they will soon. Time off from work is always a good thing and I would certainly never dissuade anyone from spending time with friends and family. However, along with whatever celebration you have in mind, I would encourage you to spend a little time thinking about the terrible price of our freedom—the price paid by our sailors, marines, soldiers, and airmen. You don’t have to make an event of it—a few moments will do.

The idea behind Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day because people decorated the tombs of the fallen) is to remember those who died in battle. The holiday began sometime around the Civil War as a means of remembering those who died in that war (both North and South) and to provide a time of healing for the country. After World War I, Memorial Day became a time to remember all those who died in service to our country and their fellow man in any war. There are many rituals associated with Memorial Day today, but really, all that anyone would ask is that you think on the cost of your freedom and who paid that price.

There is an official time to spend a moment thinking about Memorial Day.  President Bill Clinton created a memorandum asking all Americans to pause for a moment at 3:00 local time to commemorate those who died. There are some suggestions on how to do this (such as playing taps), but any act of reverence—even a moment of silence is more than sufficient. If you feel so inclined, you might want to participate in a Memorial Day activity of some sort. In fact, it’s especially important to teach your children about the day because these service members died for their freedom too.

I’ll also be taking a special personal day off on Tuesday, 29 May.  So, my next post will be on the 30th. See you then. In the meantime, thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts and to send comments on them.

 

Memorial Day – A Time of Remembrance

Many Americans have lost sight of the significance of Memorial Day. For them it has become a time to party—to celebrate something, anything. I spent 10 years of my life in the Navy serving my country—I look on it as the hardest 10 years of my life. Fortunately, I was never called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice that so many people have. Although I’m sure that most of these dear departed liked a good party as much as anyone else, it’s also important to remember why we’re taking a day off.

Our freedom cost many lives. In fact, our freedom is drenched in the blood of all of those who heeded their country’s call to duty. Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the extreme sacrifice of those who have fought and died to ensure that you can be safe in your bed each night, exercise control over your government, and choose to do things like protest an unpopular decision made by those in office. In fact, they died to ensure that you’d also have the choice to do absolutely nothing at all—yes, it’s a privilege to decide what to do and when to do it, even if that means doing nothing. During my time in the service, I saw how many people in the world live and I truly wouldn’t want to live like them. I consider America the greatest country in the world—God has truly blessed us.

I won’t deny that celebrating the lives of those who fought for our freedom is a good idea. However, take a few minutes to also think about the sacrifice these people have made on your behalf. If you see a service member, be sure to thank them for the time they spent serving your needs—usually in less than happy conditions. Memorial Day is much more than another holiday—it’s a time to reflect on just how good people have it in this country. Make your Memorial Day celebration special this year, take time to consider just how valuable your freedoms are and the price someone paid to get them. If you want some other ways to observe the holiday, check out How to Observe Memorial Day.

There won’t be a blog entry from me on Monday.  Please come back starting on Tuesday for my regular blog entries.