Every ten years my birthday is on Friday of Memorial weekend and this is such a year, and it is a great send off party for the summer. I decided not to have anyone over this time though and keep 'Soldiering' during this pandemic. It wasn't until a little while ago I thought with some length about how Memorial Day is about honoring the soldiers who fought and died for freedom. The irony of this weekends Memorial Day is right their in front of you. I expect that lots of people will say it is their freedom to have a gathering and I don't argue one bit with that. I encourage freedom in all its forms unless it takes another persons freedom away. I remember when being an American meant something more than it seems to today. If one American soldier was lost the whole country would go and fight for that one American until they came back home. Every American would be willing to do something to bring them home and honor the sacrifice they made to keep the word freedom alive. I can only look with sorrow today, and as this weekend closes with Memorial Day 100K of our fellow Americans will have died in the War against Corona. I am not a supporter of Trump, but he did say this, "You are warriors and we are at war." Everyone in this country, every American understood the words of their leaders in the very first days of this War, and we all wanted everyone to be safe. Then it became political as Wars do like Vietnam, and now many of those who fought in that War or protested against that War have made peace with each other and realized what honor is. Honor is to do what is most feared because it must be done, an expression of duty, loyalty, and love. It is what drives a soldier or medic to run into bullets to save his brother and our freedom. It is what drove the police and firefighters to run into to the burning towers on September 11th to save people even they knew they might lose their lives doing it. It is the reason that nurses, doctors, and paramedics filled the streets and hospitals in New York City and all across this nation to fight in today's War against Corona knowing that they might not come home one day. It is the reason I do my part and wear a mask in public places and am careful of others for I don't know if they can live through the War with out my help. It is the reason I call my 96' year old WWII veteran medic friend or my brother who works in a hospital in New York city every week or so to make sure they are all right. It is the reason that people feed each other in long lines and send help to the Navajo nations. It is the reason the Hells Angels are taking care of the elderly in California right now and the Black Panthers are creating food boxes and giving them out all across their communities. It is the reason that so many of us still sit on our homes from New York City to LA from Louisiana to Chicago, from Kentucky to Alabama, and all across this country touching ever small town and big city. There will be no parades, there will be no great ceremonies, there will not be concerts. What there will be is this message there will be flag planting vigils in Arlington done by the Old Guard US third infantry, and expect that clubs will do the same in small town cemeteries. This might not be read everywhere, but I believe that being an American that their never ending sacrifice will be remembered at some point today. Memorial Day is about remembering that sacrifice and those who payed the ultimate price their lives. So let us remember that and I leave you with these requests. Please remember today people will die in this War, our fellow Americans and it doesn't matter what their politics are, and people will risk their lives to make sure that doesn't happen. Please revisit what honor means and what freedom means to you, those you love, and this great county The United States of America. Thank you to all that serve, have died in service, and those who are still serving today. We owe you everything. We owe you our very lives and ....FREEDOM...
#THOR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ0I0SRW9_U
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