Sunday, May 29, 2022

Memorial Day 2022 -- Let's Say "Thank You!"

Memorial Day is a day that we have set aside to honor our members of the armed services who have been killed in action or have once served and have now passed away. It is a day when Americans are supposed to honor our fallen warriors. It is a day to do our duties and honor those who have fallen, console the bereaved families, as well as be there for those orphaned and widowed.

We should show our gratitude towards those who have fallen and their families in the following ways:

· By adorning their graves with flowers and flags.

· By visiting military cemeteries, or the veteran's section in cemeteries.

· By attending observances, services, and memorials.

· By furling the American Flag at half-mast until noon.

· By observing a moment of silence at 3 p.m. which is the "National Moment of Remembrance"

· By listening to Taps being played for those not here.

· By taking a pledge to aid disabled veterans, widows, widowers, and orphans of the fallen. And yes, we must keep that pledge.

Memorial Day is a day for us to show our gratitude by never forgetting those who have fallen.

From the battles of the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, and in the many operations around the world, members of our military have given us their honorable service and died for us.

Time after time over more than two centuries, Americans have been called to defend the founding ideals of our Republic. During these centuries, American troops have liberated cities, vanquished evil, destroyed tyranny, and lifted the oppressed out of bondage. Yes. More so than any other nation in the history of the world.

We have forced dictators and despots to flee and, in some cases, commit suicide. We have given freedom to more than can be counted. And in contrast to every other such powerful nation in the history of mankind, Americans have not planted our flag and declared ourselves conquerors. Instead, we have only sought friendship and peace in return. In every case where diplomacy has failed, the American Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine have been there to right wrongs and bring about victory.

On Memorial Day, all of us demonstrate our love and gratitude by together as a grateful nation remembering the proud patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of liberty's blessings. We do so because it is right. We do so because we understand the cost of freedom. We do so because we are a good people.

As we observe Memorial Day, we remember the more than one million Americans killed in action preserving our freedoms, the more than 140,000 who were prisoners of war, all those who have been declared missing in action, those Veterans who have passed on, and their loved ones.

We must all understand that all our troops, everyone who ever died in uniform, have died attempting to do great and noble deeds. In the big picture, our men and women in uniform have died attempting to set nations free, to save lives, to feed the world, to free enslaved people, stop conquest, to protect our way of life, and much more. They have stepped forward to preserve our uniquely American society based on the principles of freedom and liberty that make America the hope of the world.

Yes, freedom is something that is fought for and fought for and fought for, generation after generation after generation.

While that is the big picture, the small picture, the more personal picture, is even more impressive because our troops died in battle for each other. It's true. While they died for the freedoms we enjoy every day, in more cases than can possibly be imagined, they died so a buddy, a comrade, a fellow member of his or her unit, could make it home in their place.

Today, Americans remember those killed in action and those veterans who have passed. And while doing so, it is only right that we say, “We have not forgotten you. Thank you. God Bless you.”

Tom Correa