While many across the nation have the day off work for the Memorial Day holiday, it is vital to remember why this day is a holiday in the first place. Personally, one of my three jobs is working in a restaurant so I will be working in service to all those who have a need to enjoy eating food today, but as I writer I still am making the time to write out my appreciation for all those who ever sacrificed for me to be able to live in the land of the free and work.
For me, Memorial Day is a day to show love and remember all of those throughout our history who ever stood up to fight for our freedoms that we all still share every single day. My Grandfather was a bomb defuser stationed in Okinawa, Japan fighting in World War 2. He is the one who taught me at an early age why freedom mattered and why it was something that would forever be worth fighting for. I learned from his wisdom with every opportunity that I had, listening to his war stories and his belief systems that carried him in confidence to make that stand. There isn’t a human in my personal life that I ever had more respect for. He has been gone for a few years now, but his memory stands strong within my heart and his words help guide me through the actions of my day to day life. If it wasn’t for him being in my life, I may not have even found in myself the courage or the passion enough to become a writer for this very news site here. He taught me why America was a land worth loving truly.
For every soldier and service member who ever heard the call of duty to stand beside our constitution and for every single one that passed in action of protection of these ideals, I thank you. We all thank you, from every waking soul that walks this land in freedom and carries the knowledge and understanding to be able to justly stand in that love with appreciation.
Many of our leaders stand together today in shared beliefs of support to those who will never be forgotten for their service to this country and freedom around the world.
While Biden may be taking the day to selfishly speak out in support of his own narratives of voter suppression and how “democracy itself is in peril”, those who stand with truth are speaking out to keep the love of our country strong.
One of my favorite living soldiers of modern times is Jocko Willink, a retired navy seal commander, a writer, a motivational speaker and the one who led the most decorated special ops unit of the Iraq war, was given the opportunity to speak out about his love and appreciation on Memorial Day to Fox News. “These fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines… were not just warriors, they were human beings… people with families and loved ones…. They were people with a future with hopes and dreams and aspirations… and they sacrificed all of that for us, for our freedom and for our way of life and that’s something that we can never forget” said Jocko on Fox & Friends.
Donald Trump posted on his website today in celebration of Memorial Day that, “On this Memorial Day, we remember the fallen heroes who took their last breaths in defense of our Nation, our families, our citizens and our sacred freedoms. The depth of their devotion, the steel of their resolve and the purity of their patriotism has no equal in human history. On distant battlefields, in far off oceans and high in the skies above, they faced down our enemies and gave their lives so that America would prevail. They made the supreme sacrifice so that our people can live in safety and our Nation can thrive in peace. It is because of their gallantry that we can together, as one people, continue our pursuit of America’s glorious destiny.”
This Memorial Day, forget the relentless narratives of division and suppression. Instead, choose to remember history and keep our love strong in your heart for all who have ever sacrificed for the freedoms that we all share every day. More than just a holiday, it is a reminder to all of us as to why we should keep this love for our land strong within our American Spirit.
May the future be forever free by the hands and hearts of those willing to fight for what is right for the good of we the people. We will never forget you and this legacy will continue to keep moving forward through time.