Thank You, For Your Service

As far as national holidays go, Memorial Day is notable to me, for one thing. There are no rules. No “set” traditions. Perhaps fittingly, it’s the “freest” of holidays.

We don’t lavish each other with gifts
We don’t stuff our face with turkey
We don’t give each other candy
We don’t blow off fireworks
We don’t get drunk on green beer

There’s nothing “official” about Memorial Day, in terms of “you at least have to do this” and there’s no definitive marketing angle associated with it (other than the typical ‘sales’ that go with it).

Oh sure, there are parades and town celebrations. And those are great. But otherwise, Memorial Day weekend, people are turned loose to do what they want.

And that’s the essence of freedom, which as it was once famously said, isn’t free.
Our freedoms have been secured by the blood of others, and by generations long gone. And the men and women today who are making unbelievable sacrifices, cannot be thanked enough.

There are National Guard regiments (including ones I’m sure nobody ever thought would be used in action) being deployed and re-deployed for extended engagements. Many of them, in some of the most hostile parts of Afghanistan and Iraq imaginable – not just playing traffic cop at some base in Germany.

There are dads who haven’t been home in over a year and will be going back just months after they do get some time at home. There are moms who haven’t seen their kids since school started last fall.

And the extended families who are all affected by the sacrifices of service, deserve our heartfelt thanks too. Since they too are ‘serving’ our country if you really think about it.

On Memorial Day, we put the politics of war aside and simply thank those who execute these wars on our behalf. Whether you think either “war” (Afghanistan or Iraq) is good war, bad war, smart war, dumb war, it doesn’t matter. Because to those who serve, they simply have a job to do, and they do it with the most professionalism of any fighting force on the planet.

And for many of us, saying thanks is made somewhat more difficult because we do not live near a military community. And we do not know anybody in our immediate world who is in the active military. We don’t have that chance very much to say thanks, face to face.

But believe me… we feel it… and we’re thankful.

What I love about Memorial Day, is that everybody has a million different plans: beach, lake, BBQs, fishing trips, concerts, frisbee, golfing, movies, hangin’ out, seeing family...and on and on and on.

It really is the “freest” of holidays. A do what you want day, where the “man” says: “here’s an extra Monday to get ‘r done!”

And while I think of how crappy the Memorial Day weekend must have been for somebody like the members of the 82nd Airborne dodging snipers in Falluja, I feel a bit guilty. Especially considering the induldgent waste of two days I just enjoyed.

But then I think: “Well, those guys are there, so we can be here. And when they get back, they’ll be doing the same thing with us. God Bless America.”

I gotta believe, that anybody serving right now in Iraq or Afghanistan would say “don’t change your plans feelin’ sorry for us

So….

Thanks to our men and women in uniform
Thanks to those who have served before them
Thanks to the families who are feeling the strain
And thanks to the thousands of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice… for love of country… and dedication to service….

Happy Memorial Day, sports America… take a moment… and pass it along.

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AND NOW YOUR PIC O'THE DAY!!