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Memorial Day
 Memorial Day – a day set aside to remember and honor those Americans who have died in military service to our country. Memorial Day should not be confused with Veterans Day in November, which honors all veterans, or the recent Armed Forces Day, also in May, which honors all those currently serving. To most Americans, this holiday marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Time for barbecues, swimming pools, and a three-day holiday weekend. Our local high school probably wasn't alone in holding graduation exercises Thursday night so families could get a jump on making it a four-day holiday weekend.
But Memorial Day has far more significance than just the start of summer holidays. It is a somber occasion that honors those Americans who died in service to our country, those who gave "the last full measure of devotion" to our nation. Don't let their sacrifice be forgotten! This Memorial Day weekend, as you enjoy the freedoms they secured for you, pause in your celebrations to remember and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while defending our freedom, and their families. They gave up all of their tomorrows so we could enjoy ours in freedom. Never forget. America is in peril today, and it’s time for each and every American to stand up and protect her. That is one of the best ways you can honor the sacrifices made by our fallen heroes – by doing your part to keep America strong and free to ensure that their sacrifice is not in vain.
We will do our best to be worthy of your sacrifice. Additional Memorial Day reading: You'll want to be sure to read this moving Memorial Day letter from a famous naval aviator to his shipboard roommate, whom he escorted home in a flag-draped box. Respect for a Hero and his family. We Are the Nation, a stirring and inspiring prayer written by our departed friend and naval aviation legend CDR John "Bug" Roach, 1944-1991. A memorial tribute to the father I never met, by Bill Knudsen. The Pearl Harbor Memorial honors those who lost their lives on December 7, 1941, in the surprise Japanese attack on U.S. soil. Before You Go, a musical tribute to The Greatest Generation, veterans of World War II. New versions pay tribute to other warriors. Vietnam veterans are unique as the only group of combat veterans in the history of this great country who returned home to be reviled, vilified and abused rather than honored and appreciated. They are one of the most unjustly-maligned groups in American history. You'll learn some surprising truths about the war in Viet Nam and those who fought there. The media got it all wrong. As I heard someone say recently about Iraq, "The troops won the war, but the politicians lost the peace." The same was true in Vietnam. Take a moment to share your Vietnam stories, post a tribute to a fellow service member or loved one who didn't make it home, or post your thanks to America's most under-appreciated veterans. Scroll down to the bottom of that page for the form to submit your story. Take a moment to post your own message of thanks to our troops. You'll find the form at the bottom of that page.
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To all those whose loved ones have paid the ultimate price for our freedom, we gratefully say Thank You for Our Freedom. 
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