Memorial Day

The United States Government recognizes ten days a year as national holidays, days set aside to remember. All to often we, as Americans, forget the reasons behind these holidays. They become long weekends, just a day off from work. How happy are your friends when the 4th of July lands on a Friday or a Monday and it becomes a three day weekend. How many times have you heard the saying , keep Christ in Christmas? I think that Memorial Day has become a holiday that people forget the reason behind it.

We set aside two days a year to remember the people that have served our country, Veterans Day on November 11, ( originally called Armistice Day, the ending of World War 1, the war to end wars, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The other day is today, Memorial Day, to remember and honor those that did not return from war. More it has become the unofficial start of summer. This was posted on facebook today by the local Fox affiliate, "Coming up on FOX23 News this morning: Fly those flags and fire up the grill, it's Memorial Day". Should flying the flag and having a cook out be held in the same breath when it comes to Memorial Day?

If you do attend any of the parades or ceremonies today you will hear catch phrases for the day, "ultimate sacrifice" and "freedom is not free" are two of the politicians favorites. In my 52 plus years over 58,000 men and women died during the Viet Nam war, 293 during the Gulf war, and as of May 2011, 4454 men and women died in what they are calling, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom ( I guess if you don't call it a war it doesn't sound as bad ). So how has this affected me this memorial Day? I have two stories (yeah I know I always have stories).

A few years ago I took my sons on a vacation to Washington DC, we went to see all the monuments one day. At the Viet Nam memorial I started to walk along the wall. Most people that have been to the wall will tell you that it becomes a very eerie place as the wall becomes taller. Very quiet and solemn. I tried to read as many names as I could as I started to walk but soon the names fade into the wall and mostly you see your reflection in the stone. Now I remember the war as I was growing up but I didn't know anyone who had died. As I walked along all of a sudden a name popped out like it was larger than the rest, Peter McCardle. The name didn't mean much to me, I remember that my mom and dad had a high school friend named Pat McCardle but that was all and I only remember meeting Pat once when I was very young. When I returned home from vacation I called my mother to tell her about our trip. When I told her I went to the Viet Nam Memorial she asked (my mother has never seen the memorial in person ) if I saw Peter McCardle's name? Yeah I got chills.

My second story is about a friend of mine, Todd Clark. Todd is a career military man and has served more than one tour overseas. Last July the word spread quickly that he was severely wounded in Afghanistan. The Irish community came together in prayer and support of his family. Thankfully, Todd has recovered from his wounds. He was awarded the purple heart. The first time I saw him after he came home all I could say was, thank you, and it seemed such an empty phrase. Todd is a husband, father, son, brother and friend. Today he is lucky enough to be sharing Memorial Day with his family. So for the rest of us today, as you are enjoying your burgers and dogs in the back yard please remember the men and women that can't be here and the wives, husbands, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers for who this Memorial Day holds so much more meaning.