Memorial Day - Joe Rodgers

The "Land of the Free" and the "Home of the Brave"

These words should stand to remind us that Memorial Day is more than just a three-day weekend, the official start of summer, barbecues, and a day when great sales happen at our favorite stores. It is much more than what we expect to occur every year on the last Monday of May.

Memorial Day is a day to honor those patriots, both men and women, who have died in service to our country. Today, we should keep in our prayers the families who suffer tremendous grief because their loved one didn't make it home. Can you imagine, just for a few minutes, the pain those families feel, their emptiness and sense of loss? These families will never be the same. Their loss will overshadow everything they do. I know because I lost my first cousin in Vietnam. I witnessed firsthand the devastating effect, losing their son and brother, had on the entire family.

So, today, I ask that you to not only remember those servicemen and women killed in action, but also the families they left behind. I ask you to be mindful of the fact that we are still at war in Afghanistan. I ask you to remember that there are American soldiers dying every day so that America can remain: "The Land of the Free."

I hope everyone has a great time enjoying the holiday with your family and friends, getting the rest you well deserve, while remembering those who served so gallantly.