Memorial Day Observance

It's difficult to comprehend the debt owed to the men and women who have served in the military. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. Others are changed in ways that won't be reversed in this life. Yet the majority of those service men and women made their choices knowingly and willingly.

As the first generation of my family to not have served in some branch of the military, I have a direct but still second hand appreciation for part of that cost. Not a romanticized or glorified account, but of the cost in daily life and continual sacrifice. Every day is a good day to say "Thank You" to those that you know who served, today especially. Consider taking time today to contact the veterans you know - or their widows - and thank them for what they've given.

While you're considering doing so, reflect on the following poem, attributed to Charles M. Province:


It is the Soldier

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Thank you.