This is not a rant, it is a friendly reminder. This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend. This is not the weekend we celebrate Veterans. That is Veterans Day. Memorial Day weekend is the day we recognize the Veterans who paid the ultimate price; their lives. As some of you know I am an avid motorcyclist. Most Saturdays are days when I ride. We usually meet for breakfast at a mom and pop diner and ride before it gets too hot. While leaving the diner this morning I noticed an old man sitting at a table by the door. Withhim was whom I presumed to be his daughter. He was wearing a white polo embroidered with the patch of the Second Infantry Division. Im sure youve seen it somewhere, it is a large, shield shaped patch with a giant indigenous American bust on it. The bust is wearing a full headress of feathers. It is the largest patch the US Army uses. As I recognized the patch, I stopped next to their table and extended my right hand to shake his. I told him I had served in the Second ID on the demilitarized zone in Korea. He shook my hand gently and his eyes welled with tears. He could barely speak. His daughter spoke and said he had landed on Omaha Beach on D Day. Fighting back my own tears I asked him with what regiment and he told me the 23rd Infantry Regiment, as softly as could be. His daughter went on to say that he had been present during the filming of Saving Private Ryan and had met Tom Hanks and many of the actors involved with the film to include its producer, Steven Spielberg. What this man did and more so, the men and women who didnt get to come home is truly astonishing. These people wanted to be Americans so bad and wanted the same opporitunities that had been afforded to them that they died trying to give it to others. Being an American,being a citizen of the United States and living in a world of Freedom and Liberty is so precious people will die trying to give it to others and expect nothing in return. When I looked into this mans eyes I saw it all. I saw the desire for freedom and liberty,the love for his lost friends and the untold horrors he endured to defend this Country. This Memorial Day, please take a moment to recognize those who have given their livesso that we may live ours in Liberty. Recognize what a profound price it is that has beenpaid and recognize how trivial some treat it and that some expect it at no cost. ThisMemorial Day give thanks to those who have paid the ultimate price and honor them by not taking your freedom for granted.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 15:17:15 +0000
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