Story 1

May 21, 2008

Every Day Is Memorial Day

Everyday is Memorial Day. In un-American sounding places like Iwo Jima, Chosin, Khe San, Mogadishu and Ramadi, America's fighting men and women have fought, bled, and died. Memorial Day is the day when the nation remembers it's war dead, Veterans Day is the day the nation honors those who returned.

The official Veterans Day observations take place in November, why should we wait for the parade to thank our Veterans for his or her service? Veterans did not wait to heed to the call of duty. They did not shun danger, nor responsibility. Most probably they did not even pause to question why they were needed. They went, they fought (many still do in Iraq or Afghanistan), and they returned home, all changed by those experiences they faced. Home can and never will be quite the same after combat.

All Veterans, whether they carry visible wounds or not, have sacrificed much. They have lost much and a gained a few things too like friendships and brotherhood. It is important to remember that soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guard do not choose the time and place of their service, they just choose to be there when needed.

So whether it is Memorial Day or Veteran's Day officially, unofficially or not at all, take the time to please remember a Veteran. A simple thank you, a prayer, a letter, a package, or someone to talk with...whatever it is so long as we remember them. It will never be enough to fully pay the debt owed to our Veterans, but it will be a start. It will be a sign that no matter how much the Veteran has changed, or how much their homeland has changed, they are welcomed back. It will be a special memorable day for them. And let us not forget the Veterans that didn't make it home, we must remember their families, their loved ones that they have left behind on their own.

Everyday they must live without their loved one.
Everyday, to each of them, is Memorial Day.

Every Day is Memorial Day

Today we remember
A grateful Nation recalls
Our Men and Women
Who paid the price
Of freedom for us all

For those of us who
Served beside them
Every day is Memorial Day
We can't let their memories fade
We were touched by their loss

Their life touched ours
Changing and helping us
Becoming who we are
Grateful for what we have
Freedom at Home

For those left at home
You gave us your sons and daughters
Husbands and wives
Fathers and Mothers
Brothers and sisters
Friends and lovers
Thank you for sharing them with us

We miss them all
We won't let them be forgot
That is why each of us who have been in battle knows
We can never ever forget
That Every Day is Memorial Day

by: Kerry "Doc" Pardue