To Honor and Remember

By the end of the 19^th Century, Memorial Day was celebrated throughout the United States as a day to remember fallen heroes. President Lyndon Johnson and Congress officially recognized Waterloo, N.Y. as the birthplace of Memorial day. On May 5, 1966, the community held a ceremony to honor local heroes who had fought in the Civil War. After World War I, this day was altered to honor Americans who died in combat during any war where the US played a role. In 1971, Congress made the last Monday in May the official day to hold Memorial Day and it was named a national holiday.

Today, Americans will gather around the country to honor those who have served our nation throughout the centuries. There will be parades and celebrations; remembrance and tears; reflection and prayers. There will be images crossing our television screens of our bravest that currently face dangers most of us only see in movies. They are fighting a new kind of war – a war with undetermined boundaries, no clear rules of engagement, and an enemy who adapts to their surroundings and believes those who do not think like them deserve death.

Americans have been killed and maimed by people they thought were friendly, devices hidden in the ground, and most recently, by bombs in backpacks on our own soil. There is no clear end to the war being waged by terrorists. But we find comfort knowing our military is ever diligent and on the alert to keep us as safe as possible. We find comfort knowing there are men and women called to duty and make sacrifices so we can enjoy freedom.

So today, take a moment and think of America’s finest – the men and women who gave everything, the men and women who continue to give everything. Stop them to say Thank You, open a door for them before they open it for you, buy them a cup of coffee, and say a prayer for them and their family. Take a moment to acknowledge their sacrifice. Take a moment to enjoy the freedoms they are called to protect.

By SB

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