Memorial Day: Honoring Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
In a nation where our calendar appears to be focused around holidays, each year companies spend billions of dollars on advertising and promotions during holiday seasons and events. It is easy to forget the true intent behind the holidays celebrated here in the U.S. I personally feel that many Americans pay arbitrary lip service to these holidays without taking a moment to reflect on the actual holiday itself and why we are celebrating this day as a nation. I have been guilty of this transgression myself.
On Instagram, X, and Facebook, you will have companies, major social media influencers, and the average American posting on Memorial Day with a simple “Happy Memorial Day” photo. Some posts will feature a loved one who served or paid the ultimate price for this great nation, while others attempt to honor the fallen or the living who currently serve our nation. Their captions often have a cookie-cutter response. These types of posts and responses will be sprinkled throughout social media during Memorial Day weekend.
The reason I bring all this up is because Memorial Day is upon us. I know everyone will hopefully be enjoying good weather with family and friends in our backyards and parks, grilling, relaxing, and having a good time on Memorial Day.
Yet, I do not want us to forget the purpose of this holiday, which is to honor the brave Marines, Soldiers, Seamen, and Airmen who have fought and died for this wonderful nation. Our brave men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice defending the freedoms of this nation that we cherish and hold so dear.
The men and women who died for this country took an oath to defend this nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We who have served in this great nation believe in something greater than ourselves. We believe in the ideals, values, and freedoms that we possess here in this free and sovereign land, to the point where we have made the conscious decision to stand on the front lines in defense of those ideals and values. In defense of those freedoms, many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The price of freedom has always been high, but Americans have always been willing to pay that price.
These patriots are the true heroes of this nation. The price of our freedom was their sacrifice in blood in defense of this great nation we call America. We have built memorials to honor them and to remember their sacrifice for this nation. These monuments have been erected in their honor. Places such as Arlington National Cemetery, National WWII Memorial, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial serve as sobering and humbling reminders of the cost of our freedoms. Their names are etched upon the headstones of Arlington and on The Wall. On these hallowed surfaces, the names of these heroes are etched for all eternity. These names are a somber and powerful reminder of the price of freedom, while also serving as pillars and beacons of hope. Those monuments are there to remind us of the true cost of the freedoms we hold so dear.
The row upon row of names etched upon those memorials is a testament to the character of this nation, that we are a people who believe in freedom, justice, liberty, and the personal freedoms of the individual. Each name on those monuments is a testament to that freedom and to our character as a nation.
The lives of those soldiers were ended in the forests of Belleau Wood and the Argonne during World War I. Those brave men sacrificed their lives on the beaches of Normandy and in the Pacific on the shores of Tarawa, Guadalcanal, and the black sands of Iwo Jima during World War II. They fought on the cold plains of the Chosin Reservoir and during the amphibious assault on Inchon in the Korean War, in the jungles and fields of Vietnam, in the urban environments of Mosul, Fallujah, and Ramadi in Iraq, and in the valleys and mountains of Helmand Province in Afghanistan. In these theaters of war, the brave warriors of this country gave their all for this nation and its people.
The battles, cities, and nations I mentioned add up to the price of our freedoms. Americans have paid a heavy sacrifice to defend this country’s freedoms and liberties from threats around the world. Yet, we must be willing to pay that price to preserve those freedoms. Our way of life is a beacon of hope to the oppressed, downtrodden, and censored people of other nations. Our freedoms must be the lighthouse that guides nations and their people toward a free and just government, ruled by the people, created for the people, and by the people.
The sacrifice of these heroes should never be forgotten. It is because of their sacrifice and belief in the character of this nation that we enjoy our freedoms: the freedoms of speech and religion, the right to keep and bear arms, checks and balances on government power, and the freedom of the individual. Their sacrifice has preserved those freedoms in this wonderful nation.
On this Memorial Day weekend, we should reflect upon that sacrifice and take time to honor the fallen. Their sacrifice of blood, sweat, and ultimately their lives was made in defense of our freedoms. The heroes of this nation had a steadfast belief in the character of this great nation. Those men and women stood vigilant and protected our freedoms to the bitter end. Now, we must stand watch over their memory, memorials, and sacrifice. We must stand vigilant and preserve the freedoms and liberties they sacrificed for. Honor them and stand vigilant in preserving those freedoms we hold dear. For some gave all in defense of this great nation, and that should never be forgotten.
