I just broke down in tears in a Burger King parking lot. I was talking with Ali and I tried to explain to her the pressure I was feeling today. All week I have been hoping to put together a perfect salute for Memorial Day because of what it means to me and what it means to all of us. I just can’t find the words. The truth is that nothing I say could ever be enough.
From the first Memorial Day I can remember we carried on a tradition that I will carry on with my daughters today. Memorial Day was not about campouts or burgers and brats for us. It was about honoring the fallen. We went to a small cemetery in Pulaskified, MO and we put flowers in front of the headstones of some of the brave soldiers who have carried my family name to every war in the last 100 years. My grandfather died when I was six months old, so the only relationship I have with him are my visits to honor his service at his gravesite. My Uncle John was a World War II veteran and died when I was eleven. My older cousin Danny fought in Vietnam and died before his time.
This Memorial Day I will visit all three graves and give my respects because that is what is important. My children will learn from me that this sacrifice was made for us and all of the people who are lucky enough to call themselves Americans. You know who you are. You still remove your hat and cover your heart when Old Glory waves. You still stop and shake a soldier’s hand when the opportunity arises. You still cry when you hear the National Anthem. You will forever bleed red, white, and blue. And unlike most people who seem to think that Memorial Day is about cookouts, you understand the legacy of American heroes which must carry on. You still get a Patriotic tear in your eye when you see a flag draped over a casket or when you hear any of the great stories of American war heroes who gave all for freedom.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/Yqf5x8raojw[/youtube]
It is not just the younger generation who fails to understand the significance of this holiday. Half of our country is now a voting block that opposes everything American soldiers have fought and died for. We send our young men and women off to foreign lands as defenders of freedom and the principles of democracy and they come home in coffins. The survivors are forgotten by their own government and dishonored by their own people. Our warriors lose limbs and lose their very minds in defense of our freedoms and none did that to endorse the rise of socialism in this country. They have died for a country that is moving more toward socialist ideas every single day.
It was Thomas Jefferson who first spoke about the idea of “dangerous freedom” over “peaceful slavery” and the men and women that have died for us have all understood this principle. They did not ask why. It is and was about honor. They did not hide from death, they charged into the face of darkness and embraced it. The psyche of the American soldier is unlike anything most of us can understand. The American soldier understands that some things are bigger than one’s self and that freedom must prevail at any price. They understand that freedom is not free and they charge with honor into situations that most of us would run from. They do it for America. They do it for you and I.
Trending:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/XOJ28TxzjXM[/youtube]
That video is several years old now but I picked it because it because of the lyrics. The video has amassed barely 1000 hits in 4 years but the person who put it together seems to get it. It honestly made me cry. I think that is something that all of us should be unafraid to do on Memorial Day.
This is a holiday that hits home with all of us. Even if you are not from a military family and have not served yourself, your very freedoms were bestowed to you by God, protected by Our Constitution, and enforced by American Heroes who have died in every God-forsaken hell hole on this earth. They do it without fanfare or monetary reward. They do it because it is the right thing to do.
We live in a country where free speech is protected and many organizations and people, whether intentional or not, tend to dishonor these heroes and I can not stand for that. I would never compare myself to the great heroes that have given me the right to do what I do, but I must join them in the fight. They fight with advanced weaponry and I fight to honor their service with my keyboard.
From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank each and every one of you for what you have done for me and my country and I promise that we will not let you down. No American Soldier will have ever died in vain in their fight for freedom because freedom shall not fall on this watch. And true to the spirit of America it will not fall in the future. We will get louder every day to honor and support you. We will fight with you in our own way to carry on the message of freedom.
The navigation errors we see developing with the direction of our country will be corrected, because there are still enough of us out here who believe in the sacrifice of American blood that has been spilled on six continents in the name of freedom. We will teach our children to carry on with this message and we will prevail.
We have a Commander in Chief in this country who thinks that Marines are for holding umbrellas. We have a punk sitting in federal prison who gave classified military documents to the media. We have a media who treats our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan just like they treated Vietnam. Americans come home to hear about how unappreciated they are and that is a crime.
I apologize for not being able to find the words that I needed today. This is the third time I have tried to rewrite this and honestly I just won’t ever be able to say enough to thank our veterans and to honor the fallen. I could write a collection of books and devote my life to this subject and it would never be enough. Let me tell you that I am proud of your service and sacrifice and I am so thankful for you. I take the responsibility of supporting our troops very seriously. I have done my best to honor our American heroes today but if you want to hear the perfect description of an American Warrior then I think I should turn it over to Ret. Lt. Col. Oliver North:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/MLOjIKt7wOk[/youtube]
I have three daughters and twin girls on the way. I have no boys. But I will tell you that if any of my girls grow up and want to serve that my heart shall swell with pride. Like any parent I will be afraid but there is nothing on this earth that would make me more proud of my girls serving God and Country.
Again, in reference to the song/video I picked and the title of the article… I think the lyrics of that song are about the way our American heroes live their lives. They are busy living while most of us are busy dying. They understand that we all die and that dying for what is right and just is a reward that can not be topped:
Don’t tell me if I’m dyin’ I don’t wanna know If I can’t see the sun then maybe I should go.
When a soldier charges into harm’s way they must put thoughts of death out of their mind. What do they think of? I can’t tell you what each and every one of them think of but I know one thing for certain. They carry thoughts of God, Family and Country in their heart. They die for you and they die for me. They die so that we can live and cherish our freedom. Today we honor their sacrifice.
Saying we are grateful is one thing, but showing our gratitude in entirely another. If you have it in the budget today I would urge you to make a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project by clicking here.
I was really hoping to write something that could go viral today to raise a lot of money for WWP but I am afraid I don’t have it in me. I am just too emotional and not creative enough today. Suffice it to say that I owe everything I have to God and the American Soldier. In a world full of evil and betrayal those are the two forces that I will always believe in. Thank You for your service and sacrifice.
God Bless America.
God Save the Republic.
