Red, White, and Blue in the Face!

In the United States this is a long holiday weekend –  it’s Memorial Day. We tend to fill the weekend with activities including picnics, beach (or lake) trips, shopping . . . well, you get the picture. One thing many of us tend to forget is why we have this holiday at all — indeed, forgetting that is exactly why more emphasis needs to be put on remembering it! We’re not honoring Veterans today –  that comes in November, it isn’t Armed Forces Day — that was last weekend (third Sat in May). No, this holiday was created to remember those men and women of our Armed Forces who died in service to our country. In an effort to counteract the “3 day weekend” mentality that has watered down Memorial Day and turned it into nothing more than a beginning of summer spending spree weekend.

In 2000, the White House Commission on Remembrance was established as “ an independent, non-partisan government agency, established by Congress in 2000, that encourages Americans to honor the sacrifices of our fallen and their families.  The < ?xml:namespace prefix =”” st1 />Commission asks each of us to Live Honoring America’s Fallen everyday by giving back to the Nation and to unite in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. each Memorial Day.”

So as we Americans enjoy this weekend retreat from our normal lives, stop and remember just why we are able to enjoy the liberties we do enjoy in this country that, by all rights, should never have come to be but for the selfless bravery of a few good men and women. Yes, many of us claim these liberties, but we must never forget that they were won and have been preserved for us so far by a minority — the few who have chosen to serve and offer themselves for their country.

May God bless America and may America choose to give God His rightful place in our country.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Written by Lt-Colonel John McRae (1915)