Today is not National Barbeque Day nor National Beach Day nor about getting drunk or the 3-day weekend from school. Its not even about all veterans despite another popular belief. Today is when we honor those who never made it home, those KIA, POW, MIA, who never made it back into the arms of their spouses, parents, children, or other loved ones. Its about those who came home in a flag-draped coffin aboard a plane because they gave the ultimate sacrifice for fighting for our freedom or simply protecting the guy or girl next to them. Its for those like 1LT Travis Manion, who constantly put himself in increasing enemy fire to protect his comrades until he was fatally shot by an enemy sniper. Its for those like LT Michael Murphy who braved enemy fire to radio the position of him and his Operation Redwing team before being shot and killed, allowing bodies of himself and 2 other teammates and the lone survivor to be recovered and rescued. Its for those like SPC. Joshua Lancaster who was killed when a rocket attack struck Kandahar airfield. And those like 1LT Frank Walkup who were killed by an IED blast during a routine patrol. Today is Memorial Day for many. To some, Memorial Day is every day. They live with their loss for the rest of their lives, while others simply enjoy the luxury of life allowed by those who gave their lives for us to do so. I thank Brothers like Nathan Fair who get it right. Because of those like him, I like to think I also get today right.
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 13:23:33 +0000
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