As of May 26, according to the Department of Defense, 6,926 Military personnel and Department of Defense civilians have died serving since 9/11 in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the surrounding region. How many of us have taken the time to learn and understand the depth of what they collectively gave their life for outside of what is being told on cable news?
Each Memorial Day, most Americans remember those that have fallen, perhaps with a personal story of tragedy or a general recognition of all of those that have lost their lives. All of these sentiments are valid, honorable, and true. However, as I look around the community and country and observe the partisanship, the divisiveness, the lack of patience to listen and compromise with one another, I wonder too often what type of society those individuals gave their life to preserve. We need to do better, if not for us, but for them.
Rather than surrender to the instinct of responding to the controversy of the day, join a local service organization, volunteer at a local food bank or homeless shelter. Make sure no matter how small the contribution that there is no doubt that your choices and actions reflect the bravery of those that gave their life over the course of our nation’s history. We will always pause on Memorial Day to formally recognize their sacrifices. However, to truly honor them, we need to sacrifice ourselves on a daily basis to ensure that what they died for continues to have meaning in the future.
