Many people may know of Memorial Day as another three day weekend to have a barbecue, but do we know the reason behind it? Memorial Day is an American holiday dedicated to honoring and remembering those who have died serving our nation and protecting our freedom. It differs from Veterans Day which is the day we honor those who have served and Armed Forces Day which is the day we honor those currently serving.
On Memorial Day, everyone on Facebook seems to share countless pictures and videos of the graves and caskets of fallen soldiers, and widowed spouses with his/her children. Why is it that only on holidays like Memorial Day, (most) people remember the fallen? When I was growing up, my parents made sure that my sisters and I always remembered that there was a reason we could sleep in peace at night. Every night, we would keep our service men and women in our prayers along with their families. My mom taught us that the polite thing to do when we see someone in uniform is to personally thank them. I have great uncles and grandparents who served in the Navy and Army, who have been awarded purple hearts and bronze stars for their heroic acts. I have friends from high school who have enlisted and my boyfriend will graduate West Point next year. Due to the way I was raised and the people I choose to surround myself with, I strongly believe that freedom does not come free.
Our nation’s flag and National Anthem are symbolic of the courageous efforts put forth by our men and women in uniform in order to protect the freedoms we all enjoy. The rage that comes over me when I see videos of people stomping and spitting on the American flag is unreal, and when I see people seated during the National Anthem, I feel my muscles tighten with anger. The reason why you even have the option to heartlessly disrespect our flag and fail to stand during the "Star Spangled Banner" is because you have the freedom to do so, protected by the people serving, and those who have died serving. Think about that….people have died, so you have the option to be disrespectful.
This Memorial Day, make a commitment to remember the fallen for more than just one day out of the year. Keep them and their families in your prayers. Remember why we celebrate, and remember that people fight and die so that we may sleep in peace at night and have what we consider basic rights.
