Today the country observes Memorial Day — a federal holiday recognizing those who died while serving in the military.
Nationally, America tends to be very active on Veterans Day, but with Memorial Day beginning around summer vacation, this is one observance day that can be left in the dust.
And we need to do better.
Memorial Day can be a day of gathering with loved ones, from BBQs to beach vacations to hours at the pool, but we also must take time for reflection. It’s more than just another day and it’s more than just a day off. It’s a day of remembrance.
As Ronald Regan said in 1982 overlooking the Arlington National Cemetery: “Our first obligation to them and ourselves is plain enough: the United States and the freedom for which it stands, the freedom [for] which they died, must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost. It imposes a burden. And just as they whom we commemorate were willing to sacrifice, so too must we — in a less final, less heroic way — be willing to give of ourselves.”
We at Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. encourage our fellow community members to take some time to remember the lives lost while serving this country.
Starting at 9 a.m. that morning, American Legion Post 143 will have a Memorial Day wreath laying at the Tallapoosa County Courthouse. Bill Nicholas Veterans Home will host a Memorial Day Celebration at 10 a.m.
Regardless of your schedule or where you might be, take a few moments to remember our fallen heroes and thank them for the freedoms for which they fought.
