The Land of the Free, Because of the Brave

I literally tripped over this headline, written in chalk in the street near our home. The neighbor kids were celebrating Memorial Day and left the message for the rest of us.

Memorial Day is a time to remember. A time to express thanks for service. And a time to think, just a bit, about those millions who, over the centuries, have made the supreme sacrifice for our country. Whether it was the war of independence, or the war to end slavery, or the war to end all wars, or the war that followed that, or the wars in Korea, Vietnam, or the middle east, they were not fought for expansion, conquest, territory, but to protect our way of life.

As was inscribed on a wall of the US cemetery at Normandy in France, “If ever proof were needed that we fought for a cause and not for conquest, it could be found in these cemeteries. Here was our only conquest: all we asked … was enough … soil in which to bury our gallant dead.” General Mark W. Clark.

Memorial Day weekend is more than just an extra day off. It is a day to think about those to whom we owe so much. To think about those who returned, and those who did not. We must remember that the families of the fallen served. They, too, paid a high price.

Put aside the hot dogs and beer for a moment, and remember. Those kids are right — we truly are the Land of the Free Because of the Brave.

JVH