“But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye.”
Thomas Dunn English
There is surely no better memorial to those we honor this weekend than the freedom we have and our very country… but it is still more than fitting that we pause this weekend to remember those who gave their lives for us. According to the Home for Heroes Website, since the birth of the United States in 1776, over one million have purchased freedom with their lives. This is the weekend when we should each do our best to feel a very personal connection to them. I would likely not be sitting here writing this–you would likely not be reading it–were they not prepared to give as they did.
So take a moment to look around you… and understand that what you have and who you are was made possible in large part because a million plus men and women answered the call. Yes, that’s a big number. But they did so one at a time in a very individual and personal way. And that is how we perhaps best honor them. Parades and monuments are important. Flying the flag is good. But remembering is what it is really about–if just for a moment–and celebrating and guarding the freedom we have is the ultimate monument.
Walter Boomsma, Webmaster
