Remembering Our Heroes

Today is Memorial Day and that has a wealth of meaning in the United States. For some lucky kids it symbolizes the end of school and start of summer, no matter what the meteorologist says. For some it's a day of barbecues, hot dogs, festivals and parades. And for many of us it's a day to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. When I check my Facebook page I will be inundated with pictures of eagles, the flag, military cemeteries, and other patriotic images bearing messages like, "God Bless America", "Lest We Forget", and "God Bless Our Troops". I love seeing those. But there will also be a few cynics who write long rants with the basic gist of, "Who cares? What's so special about the military? They're just average guys doing their jobs. That doesn't make them heroes."

Those posts tend to make my blood boil a bit and with good reason. I come from a long, proud heritage of military service dating beyond the French and Indian War. Most recently I have a grandfather who was in the army air corp during WWII, another grandfather who was a naval supply officer in Vietnam, and I married into a family where the grandfather had served in the Marines during Vietnam. And then there's my hero, my dad. He was a navigator and then an inspector general in the Air Force, retiring this month as a Lieutenant Colonel. He taught me that there are things worth fighting for and that freedom doesn't come free. Someone has to pay for it. And so we waited during deployments, praying for his safety. He was always willing to go and never complained.

And that's why our military members are heroes. They are just average guys (and girls) doing their job. But their job is what makes them extraordinary. They have committed to freedom not just their time, but their lives. They are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, single and married. They are average people with average lives who feel a burning in their bosom to do something more. They know, like my dad, that freedom isn't free and they've decided that it is worth fighting for. They have put their lives on the line to ensure that we can live in peace and safety.

While we enjoy that barbecue, some of them are across the world hoping that today is quiet. They are missing their families. During their time in the desert, or the jungle, or wherever they are, they have missed birthdays, weddings, funerals, births, graduations, and other life events. They leave everything behind to make sure that we are a free people.

Does that make them heroes? I suppose that depends on your perspective. Do you value your freedom? If so, just remember that there are soldiers who fought for that freedom. There are soldiers who died for that freedom. To those who complain that they are nothing special, just remember that you have the freedom and right to say that because of them.

We would all do well to take a moment today to remember those average guys and girls who did the extraordinary. We would do well to honor and remember our military heroes.

Happy Memorial Day to all of you! And God bless our nation and our troops!