EDITORIAL:Memorial Day 2024: Remember the men and woman who served their country
May 25—The long holiday weekend that signals the launch of summer vacation season here in the mountains and valleys of southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia is now well underway.
Millions of Americans — eager for sun and fun after a long and cold winter — started driving Friday to their destinations so they can see families and friends. They are going to family reunions, picnics, fairs and ball games. The three-day holiday weekend concludes Monday with many travelers on the highways again for their journeys home.
Yes, Memorial Day is a time for socializing and relaxing, but it's much more than time away from work or the classroom. It is a day for honoring the men and women who have served their country. They are the people who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard who put their own lives on hold and gave up time with their families so they could serve and protect their country.
This service often took them thousands of miles from home to countries ravaged by disaster, disease and ongoing war. Many of these men and women sacrificed their health and suffered terrible injuries while serving their country.
They endured horrors and hardships that people should not be asked to experience. Many of them carry terrible memories that haunt them for the rest of their lives. Then they go home to people who might not understand the sacrifices that were made and the scars those sacrifices have left behind.
These veterans often keep their experiences to themselves. In many cases, veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and other conflicts are only now sharing their memories of combat and the hardships of war.
For many years, they have gone without the thanks they deserve for their service; fortunately, the situation has been changing. Programs such as the Always Free Honor Flight now take veterans free of charge to Washington, D.C. so they can visit the monuments that have been erected in their honor. Their chartered buses arrive at the World War II Monument, and from there the veterans visit the Vietnam War Memorial and the Korean War Memorial.
Perhaps the best thing the veterans have received in the past during these trips is the admiration of the public. It's not uncommon for strangers young and old to come up and thank the veterans for their service. In turn, these veterans help people remember what Memorial Day really means for the United States.
Another way to thank the nation's veterans is to support programs created to help them with their health care and employment needs. Veterans should not have to sacrifice for their country only to be forgotten after they come home and resume their civilian lives.
Finding adequate health care or a job that lets them get on with their lives should not be a struggle.
The Memorial Day Weekend is a good time for family and friends, but it's also a time to remember the people who made the nation safe and, in many cases, made the ultimate sacrifice. Their graves are in places like Arlington National Cemetery and in cemeteries overseas, and they can be found in local cemeteries across our region.
Families and other veterans will place American flags at these graves to honor their service. But Memorial Day also is a time to reflect on what these men and women gave up so their country would remain safe and free. God bless our veterans, the people who served and continue to serve. And God Bless the United States of America.
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
