For many of us, Memorial Day marks one of the last remaining days of the school year and heralds the beginning of summer. Americans across the country take this weekend to spend time with family and friends, relaxing outside, often with the aroma of a barbecue in the air.
Memorial Day is indeed a day to celebrate and enjoy. It is also one in which we should take the time to honor those who gave all for the very freedoms you and I are both able to enjoy. We should be grateful because of the tremendous price this holiday signifies, a price paid through the ultimate sacrifice of so many fallen military service members.
Since the birth of our country, men and women have fought and died so that we may remain a free nation, one that is a symbol of hope to so many others in the world. Their sacrifices are enduring as long as we Americans remember and honor them.
Within the Georgia National Guard, 42 of our service members have given their lives in service since Sept. 11, 2001. Additionally, 170 Georgians serving in other military components have also given their lives in the War on Terror. They volunteered to serve their country in a time of persistent threat and war. They served and died far away from home, fighting extremists and terrorists, protecting others in dire need. They should and will be honored and remembered for their sacrifice and service.
Today, there are numerous Memorial Day observances being conducted throughout our communities. Whether hosted by a church, veterans group, civic organization or by the local government, the events all pay homage to our fallen. They are meant to memorialize their sacrifice, so we may never forget, and so we may learn and understand the price paid by so many heroes in service to their country.
I encourage you to find a Memorial Day event near you. Take the time and attend one of these events; bring your friends and family as well. Bring your children and teach them the importance of this holiday. Let them know how and why we memorialize our fallen heroes on this day. Make it an annual tradition.
Throughout the year, there are also plenty of opportunities for you and your family to actively honor the fallen. From supporting housing for families left behind to funding memorial scholarships, seek out these opportunities. President Abraham Lincoln said it best in his promise to veterans and the fallen, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.” I believe we can all do our part, as each act of kindness and support, large or small, is significant and welcomed.
So, I ask you to celebrate this day. Yes, celebrate. Have fun, relax, and enjoy your own pursuit of happiness on this fine day! It is a day in which Americans demonstrate to the world that our way of life is indeed good, and that those who died granting it to us, did not do so in vain. It is what those who died in uniform fought to protect. Honor their ultimate sacrifice by enjoying your freedoms and liberties, especially on this day of remembrance.
May God continue to bless our great nation and those who serve today in her defense.
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