Thoughts on Memorial Day

Posted by Larry Miller on May 23, 2009 under Why | Read the First Comment

This country of ours was born out of a conflict. It was a conflict between those who wanted to claim God’s gift of freedom and those who wanted to keep them subservient to the British Empire. They believed our creator designed us for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. They stood up to the most powerful military force of their time and, because of dedication and determination, our founding fathers succeeded in throwing off the chains of the British Crown. But it was at a terrible cost.

Families lost their homes, farms and plantations, but more importantly, fathers, sons, brothers, some to British musket balls and bayonets, some to disease. These brave freedom fighters gave their fellow countrymen what would become the greatest nation on earth. They had no idea of what was in store for these United States of America… they just wanted to be free, and they wanted their sons and daughters to grow up on a land where liberty, not a monarch, reigned.

Whether it was the frozen fields of Valley Forge or the dark-of-night bayonet attack at Yorktown, these farmers, shoemakers and black smiths gave their time and devotion to the fledgling county. Some of them gave their lives. These are the people we remember on Memorial Day.

These brave souls along with those who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-day, who flew the bombers that decimated the Third Reich’s ability to make war, the Marines who dug the enemy out of Iwo Jima and the hundreds of other battles from steamy jungles to burning deserts where victory was won at the price of America’s finest men and, sometimes, women. These are the people we honor this and every Memorial Day.

This holiday is an excellent time to reflect, not just on what we have been given, but what it cost those who gave it to us. When we have our picnics and parties, we need to remember the line from a Billy Ray Cyrus song, “all gave some, some gave all”.

With this great gift of freedom that was given to us by those who were unable to enjoy it, comes an awesome responsibility. It is a responsibility to nurture and care for it. It is a responsibility to fight for it ourselves if necessary. We need to be sure to honor responsibility to be sure younger generations know what this country is, how it was formed, what it cost and what it stands for.

We can’t just expect the public schools to do it when they spend more more time talking about Gloria Steinem and the Weathermen than they do discussing Thomas Jefferson and the Minutemen. The younger generations need to hear it from each of us, and, more importantly, need to see it in our lives.