There
is much more to today than showing our appreciation for the sacrifices made by
those who served in the military. Today is about those who gave everything, the
most that anyone can give, to this country and to us. Today is about showing
our humble gratitude to those who will never be able to read or see our words.
Today is about listening rather than speaking.
In
between the countless posts and comments streaming across the screen of my
laptop confusing Memorial Day with Veteran’s Day there have been a few instances
when I paused and simply listened to what was said or stopped to read what was
written. Those words were from the men and women who survived, many of whom
attest to their survival coming at the cost of the life of another soldier. Others
were recollections of the smiles and aspirations of soldiers who never returned
home.
At
the same time, I see the pictures and faces of families now absent a son,
daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister. These are the instances that give
me a moment of reflective pause as I think about those with whom I shared a
barracks and I wonder how many of those soldiers never posed for another family
photo after those sweltering days in Missouri. And I also think about who had
to take my place once I departed.
I
also think about the leaves in the family tree that never fully developed
having been pruned early in life during a time of war. Whether it is my 7th
great grandfather, Rufus Cone, having been captured by the British during the
Battle of Long Island he subsequently died aboard a prison ship on August 27,
1776, or my 4th great grandfather, Jacob Teaford, who watched as his fellow militiamen were buried in mass graves in Norfolk, Virginia in the fall of 1814, or my 3rd great grandfather, Jacob Worth, being entombed in the
USS Tecumseh during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, or many of the
cousins, close and distant, that have given all to defend this country. All of
these family tragedies and sacrifices remain at the forefront of my mind on
this day.
It
is because of this, these accounts past and present, that we must always listen
to what needs to be said and understand that many of the sacrifices that were
made were so we could live the life that we do in a free country. At the same
time, there is no telling what would have happened to us had someone not
stepped in and paid that price. Past or present, today we must honor the
memories of the true heroes of this country.
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