When I was growing up, Memorial Day was always just another day away from school. It was the event that ushered in summer. It was the signal that school was just about over for the year. It was usually a day for a picnic with the family at Old River Park. But I never really got the full meaning behind the day and the events that surrounded it. I never had the appreciation for what it meant.
In middle school and high school, as part of the band, I would always have to march in the local town parade for Memorial Day. I would see the events that took place at the cemetery, but there were still the picnics and other family events that took place, so while I started to get an understanding, I still didn't fully appreciate the meaning behind the day.
Sometime after I started college is when I think I started to realize what this day meant. I had buddies of mine in high school and a cousin that were taking part in the first Persian Gulf war, and through their experiences, I think that I finally started to realize what this day meant. These friends of mine, this cousin were risking their lives to serve, to help those who needed it. They could have very easily been a casualty, but thankfully they weren't. But it really started me thinking, they chose to join up with the armed forces.
Since that time, I have a deeper appreciation for what our service men and women go through and are a part of. The Military Channel on cable TV and the History Channel have given me a better understanding and more knowledge of what these people are like. Most of them are unsung heroes, just trying to do their job and get home to be with the ones that they love. But from those I have talked to, those that I have heard from, they want to make sure that the job is done and done right. That spirit of determination, self-sacrifice, and honor has helped me get a better understaning of those traits and what they mean to me.
To all of our armed services personnel, to those that have already served, to those currently serving, to those that are yet to serve, and most importantly to those that have given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom, I heartily salute you and the sacrifice that is being made in freedom's name.
