Most American holidays are unambiguous in their purpose and celebration. We give flowers and gifts on Mother’s Day; we launch fireworks on Independence Day; we parade veterans on Veterans Day. Yet Memorial Day, a day for remembering our dead, is largely regarded as the “start of summer.”
It is my sincere hope you can enjoy the holiday with family and friends. But no matter how you spend your time this Memorial Day, I hope you will also take a moment to honor its intended purpose — to remember those who have died fighting to defend our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It’s easy to forget that our military has been an all-volunteer force for decades. Regardless, our country has been defended for generations by men and women who have voluntarily joined our nation’s military and have, accordingly, volunteered to put themselves into harm’s way.
I believe there is no greater calling than to defend the American way of life and perpetuate democracy. Yet, some veterans have wondered why they were able to come home and others were not. Hollywood has made movies about this very question, but perhaps the best answer was offered by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who said, “In war, you win or lose, live or die — and the difference is just an eyelash.”
Today, amid the grills and the pools and the boat trips all across this great state, there will be small moments taking place that most of us will never know about. At a home in Lula, a wife will remember her husband killed in Afghanistan. In a private gathering at a grave in Walton County, a group of soldiers may take a few moments to recall to living memory a friend who did not return from Iraq with them.
Thank the families when you can, although they may be hard to identify. Most veterans and military members will in fact be easy to find. You’ll see them at honorary ceremonies all over Georgia. They’ll be the ones wearing their uniforms or vests with numerous patches. They’ll be the ones who normally have a fairly tough exterior but today they might have a few tears in their eyes. The tears will be shed for a fallen comrade who wasn’t able to come home to family and friends the way they had planned. The tears are also shed for a deserving country, struggling to determine its future, and in hopes of reassurance that lives have not been lost in vain.
That’s why — despite public or private remembrance of those fallen in service to our countries — veterans today also will enjoy the sun, and pools, and barbecue, and the warmth of summer. Because the freedom to enjoy those things — and so much more — is exactly why they volunteered to serve in the first place. That our people are safe and free to celebrate in peace is its own victory and reward.
So today, if I may be so bold to ask, please find a local Memorial Day ceremony and pay your respects. While you’re there, see if you can spot a veteran who needs a shoulder to lean on. I imagine it will be good for you — and for “us” as well.
May God continue to bless these great United States of America.
Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth is adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard.
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