Happy Memorial Day

Today, as you enjoy the extra day that you get to spend with your families, keep your sights on what makes today so important. Memorial Day gives us an opportunity to take a moment out of our hectic lives and appreciate the freedoms that we have.

That freedom would not have been possible were in not for brave men and women nationwide who answered the call to serve our country. Many of those military heroes made the supreme sacrifice. Memorial day is for them, and for the friends and family members that they left behind.

Never have I been more reminded of the sacrifices that have been made to attain this freedom than when I visited the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. Each of the 21 steps our uniformed soldiers make to and fro is in tribute to those who have lost their lives to give us our freedom. The importance of this national holiday is perfectly reflected in the Sentinel’s Creed.

“My dedication to this sacred duty is total and wholehearted. In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I falter. And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain perfection. Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability. It is he who commands the respect I protect. His bravery that made us so proud. Surrounded by well meaning crowds and by day alone in the thoughtful peace of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance.”

Who will you remember this Memorial Day?