In Memoriam

With Memorial Day around the corner and our troops giving their lives over sees, we should take time to remember the reason for the holiday. Our country was founded on war, and war is not waged without loss of life. To those who has paid the ultimate price and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, let us truly observe this holiday. Do something in remembrance on that sacrifice whether it is to relish in the freedom they have provided or to pay actual homage to those who have or do serve in the armed forces.

We should all keep in mind the soldiers are not politicians, and that they fight in defense and in the interests on our country. They do not set the policies, they just pay the tab. So if you know a veteran, which most of us do, take the time to personally thank them for their service to our country. You do not have to agree with war or with the motives behind it, but you have to respect those that answer the call of the country, voluntarily, and put themselves in harms way so that we have the absurdly spoiled privilege of complaining about gas prices or who won American Idol.

Our fighting men and women are in harms way right now as I write this post and as many are lying in the down padded beds under a blanket of freedom they provide. It is as it has always been. Let those of us who have not served and who have not put ourselves at the brink lose perspective on what it is that they have done for our country and us.

Tragedy befalls the family who loses a loved one under any circumstances. However, more tragic yet glorified is a death found in combat. Yet, what thought have you given to what happens to them after they die?

I watched a show on PBS about the Guard of the Unknown Soldier and the Arlington Cemetery Funeral detail. This is a little known elite unit of ultra precise drill and ceremony that has a long tradition of pride and honor. To become a Guard you have to pass a super high detail training course and meet a high moral code. A moral code that if you stray from even after you leave the detail, your service on that detail will be expunged. The drill you perform is precise and concise. Your uniform has to be pressed, your medals hung and polished, your belt, hat, glasses, everything worn on your person within a specification within 1/16 of an inch. You must be the epitome of perfection. The drill must be sharp and follow a cadence and tempo that is precise and exacting… it must be perfect. Why? Because we owe it to them. They must see; their families must see that we appreciate the sacrifice they have made and one way we can show them is that we make the best effort humanly possible to pay our final respects. I hope those buried outside Arlington are shown the same respect.

Final respects. What about those that don’t die? Many are injured and for the rest of their lives diminished. Broken physically. What respects do we pay to them?

A man works for me who served in Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. In his last tour, while on his last tour he was leading a convoy of heavy vehicles and his vehicle was hit with an IED (Improvised Explosive Devise). One of his eardrums burst instantly and during the 20-minute firefight that ensued, he lost some of the hearing in the other. He was in one of those huge armored semi-looking trucks and they shot enough bullets at the Iraqis that they melted 2 barrels on the 50 cal machine gun mounted to the gun turret. He was awarded the Purple Heart. To be honest, I sleep better at night knowing there are people like Jarhead out there protecting me, and my babies. God bless you. God bless you all.

I would like to thank the following veterans in case I do not get a chance to see you over the weekend. The chances are remote that you will see this, but if ever you trip across it, here it is.

William T. Kendall
William B. Kendall
Denys A. Kendall
Lucian M. Cayce
Ian M. Cayce
Jerry V. May
Bruce Miller
Richard Allar
Stephanie L. Spry
Martin Schmit
James Schliefer
Glenn W. Newton
Kenneth Hale
Herb Whittemore
Homer Kelley
Corey Davis
Walter Kanas
John Madeiros
Thomas Scott
Robert Smedley

and all those I have undoubtedly not listed here.