“Home of the free, because of the brave.”
– Unknown
This past weekend, I joined a large group of my distributed family and shared in the celebration of life for my 93-year-old Uncle, who died last March when this gathering wasn’t possible. Besides being a tremendous person and a strong patriot of our family, he was also a World War II veteran.
My Uncle was one of twenty-six first cousins who served in the military or a protected industry or were too young to serve. Growing up, I heard many stories from that time and saw the impact that time had on those relatives. Among them, many went on to success, and some faced substantial challenges. But all had an imprint on their lives, even those who stayed behind at home.
Our past presents us with many stories of ordinary people who have risen when the challenge of serving our country presented itself. I love to hear about their experiences and contributions (and we often share their stories in this blog):
- Thoughts of Investments & Sacrifices: A story about my aunt in WWII
- Lessons from an American Hero: A glimpse into the Harriet Tubman story
- Hero’s, Families & Many, Many Thanks: A collection of stories & some interesting websites
- Remembering ALL of Our Veterans: A reminder to honor veterans and their sacrifices.
Just looking at our history of conflicts, such as the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, either World War, or others, these are always times of sacrifice and personal commitment. Each also presents multi-generational impacts for all associated with those events.
Over the last 15+ months, we’ve had just a glimpse of that conflict experience as we’ve dealt with a different type of war – the pandemic. Along with the challenges, fear, and loss, we have also seen a new set of heroes in our healthcare workers, teachers, and others that answered the call to serve. They, too, join that growing list of people to be celebrated this Memorial Day.
I’m excited for our future as a nation. I always strive to remember those lessons of the past – and the many people who made contributions along the way. Give yourself an opportunity this Monday to honor those that went before us and made this day possible.
“Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.”
– Barack Obama
