Sunday, May 30, 2010

Memorial Day


  • Don Ward, United States Army.

  • E.A. "Red" Elixson, United States Navy.

  • H.A. Mathis, United States Army.

  • Huston White, United States Army.

  • Kenneth White, Army National Guard.

  • Wendell Ball, United States Army.

  • Jeff Justice, United States Marines.


These are a few of my family and friends I have known who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States of America, and to each of them on this, the eve of Memorial Day 2010, I say thank you for your service. For your sacrifice. But, Memorial Day is not about you. You all came home.

Memorial Day is about 58,261 names on The Wall. It is about 125,000 tombstones in 24 overseas military cemeteries. It is about the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Memorial Day is not about trips to the beach, barbecues, or a three day weekend. It is about remembering those warriors who gave, in Lincoln's phrasing, the "last full measure of devotion".

Go find a soldier today and thank him or her. This explains it pretty well.