Sunday, May 25, 2008, 4:48 a.m., D.S.T., Nashville, TN~
Dear Journal~
This is Louie Sandusky writing. I hope this finds you well. I am doing okay; am off today and tomorrow from work; might as well take advantage of it while I can.
I am writing in here because I want to write about our brave men and women who went into the service. They did this because they felt they had an obligation to our country: to protect her from the enemy, both foreign and domestic. They bravely went into the military, not knowing whether they would ever get to come home again.
Unfortunately, many have not. Many have died at the hands of the enemy; yet they died for our flag, defending her until the very end. Too many have died, particularly during this ongoing war in Iraq.
It is these soldiers that I choose to honor, to remember, this Memorial Day weekend. I also choose to remember those soldiers who served in other wars: Vietnam. Korea. The Falklan Island Conflict. Beirut. The World Wars, both one and two. The men and women who died on September 11, 2001. The men, women, and children who died in the Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. So many names, so many faces, so many innocent people who didn't have to die in the manner that they did.
Unfortunately, for many people, Memorial Day is just another excuse for a day off from work or school, or another day to sleep in, do whatever they so choose. That is their right, but I choose to remember the sacrifices made by our military, both current and past, both living and gone.
We used to do this as a nation: what happened? When did we become so apathetic? When did sales or money take precedence over our military personnel? What happened to the parades, the speeches, the patriotic music? What happened to spending time at a veteran's hospital or visiting veterans in a nursing home, listening to their stories, giving them a word of encouragement, even as so much as a hug or a kiss, thanking them for a job well done??
It seems that very few people nowadays take the time to honor our veterans. So many times, the veteran is left to be forgotten, given the shaft by an uncaring government, and it breaks my heart. As the daughter of a veteran (my father), I have no choice but to remember. My daddy gave his life for our country, even though he really didn't fight in the war. The fact is, he still served our nation, and I, as his daughter, his flesh and blood, choose to remember the sacrifices made, by not only him, but ALL of our veterans, from ALL wars or conflicts!
Our city is holding a special Memorial Day tribute later this afternoon and again tomorrow; tomorrow there will be a parade for our veterans, and there will be a flyby, as well as special music and speeches. I plan on being there, to show my support, spending time with the veterans, showing them that I, in my small way, care for them, what happens to them.
It's the least I can do after knowing how they served my nation, and because of them, we're a lot safer now.
So on that note, let me wish you a very happy Memorial Day. Take the time to thank a veteran, and listen to their stories. You will learn a lot if you just take a moment to listen to their words. Think of the sacrifices they've given up to ensure our freedom, and think what our nation would be like if it were not for their brave service. Think of how good we have it compared to other war-torn nations, and what it would be like if we were cowering for our very lives, not knowing whether anyone was going to help us in our time of need.
Lots to think about, I know, but Memorial Day is NOT about sales or days off from work or school: it's about honoring our dead, our veterans, and thanking God that we're free! Remember that next time you go to get that new outfit you have to have or go to that barbeque. It's not about fun: it's about freedom, and the sacrifices made by a brave few who chose to defend our nation from war or terror!
Happy Memorial Day!
~Love, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May. :( >tears!<
