Honoring those that have come before us and those still at peril

One of my favorite bloggers to read is Neptunus Lex. Interesting points about his life, politics, and going back to school. Anyhow, in his post titled "Remembering" he talks about doing more on Memorial day then hanging around the house and watching either your favorite John Wayne war movie or catching the Indy 500. Rather look at either giving your time or some money to groups that are trying to help the injured get back on their feet, help the active duty have a sense of home, and in general help those out that are in the uniform.

I would make the suggestion to do the same thing. More then that though I would urge you gentle reader to take time and head to your local cemetery or if you live close enough to one head to a National Cemetery with your family. Take a couple of flags and some flowers, go and introduce yourself to some of those men and women who served to make sure "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth". That is something my grandfather, my father, and my uncle use to do with me and my younger sister. I saw people that survived the horrors of war to die of old age after earning their life; I saw people who were in the prime of life cut down in places such as the green fields of Lexington, outside the halls of Montezuma, some place called Belleau Wood, Cavitie, Kassarine, Lebanon, or some foreign port; I saw people who on some lazy Sunday morning didn't even have a sporting chance. It puts it all in to perspective with me when I did that. For every John Wayne and Audie Murphy, there were people like Joe Sailor, Joe Airman, Gung Ho Marine, Hey Joe solider. Some of these people did it because they were honorable people. Others joined because it gave them a chance to improve their lives. Some people I have meet joined because a women thought men in uniform looked cute. Finally others did it not because they believed in the politics of the cause or the politics of the person in the White House, rather they did it because their friends joined and to leave their friends in the lurch goes against what they were taught to be a decent and honorable human being.

Anyhow, as I re-write this for the billionth time I just think that you dear readers take the time to visit your local cemetery and put a simple flower at the marker at the grave of some service member. Take your family there and talk to them about it, teach your children to honor those that gave their lives to protect them. Teach them to be respectful to those in the uniform of the military. That is what I ask the most of each and every one of you.