As we prepare for Memorial Day we will be besieged by messages to not forget the meaning of the day. We will hear about honoring the past and celebrating the way of life made possible for us by those who have paid the ultimate price for freedom. We have had four Memorial Day holidays since war was declared in Iraq. We have lost more than 3,300 American lives. Even with this public knowledge there are still more people who do not know the meaning of Memorial Day than those who do.

I was surprised to hear that only 92 million Americans know the meaning of the day. It was when I read this that I remembered what my son told me a couple of months ago. He told me that I never told him much about my time in Vietnam. At about the same time I was talking to my brother, who was an Army medic and served in Vietnam for 16 months after I came home. We were talking about Nam, during the conversation we each learned that the reason neither of us had broached the subject with each other was because we both thought the other one had it more difficult and saw so much we didn’t want to talk about it

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Keeping our feelings about our time in war to ourselves is common. As our World War II veterans get older and die faster we hear more and more stories of how they spent years not talking about what they went through and what they saw. They have waited until their senior years with not much of life left to reveal, even to their closest family and friends, their part in the war.

One thing my brother and I did talk about was the people we knew who died in the war. We also talked about our own feelings. My brother was drafted and felt he had no choice. I, on the other hand, volunteered and even re-enlisted in the Marine Corps with the understanding that I would be sent to Japan to the 1st Marine Air Wing in hopes of going to Vietnam. The only reason I had to do it this way was that at that time the wing had not yet been sent to DaNang.

One major difference between previous wars and the present war is we now have an all-volunteer military. I can relate to this type of service. While every death is tragic at least the loved ones of most of those who have given their lives have the knowledge that their son or daughter died doing what they wanted to do. As a nation we have the knowledge that there are still people willing to fight for the freedom we enjoy.

Last week the Observer published an article about the history of the poppy. The small poppy is distributed as a result of a poem written by a World War I Canadian soldier. His name was Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. He wrote the poem after the death of a fellow soldier in Ypres Salient battlefields in Flanders, Belgium. McCrae wrote the last line of the poem as he was dying. The line was, “Tell them this; if ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep.”

I would hate to think that this is the generation that breaks the faith of those who have died. When you consider that from the Revolutionary War until today each drop of blood shed by those who have given their lives has helped to make this country what it is today. You would hope that most Americans would have more of an appreciation for those who have shed that blood.

Some people feel that by changing the celebration from one specific day to a three-day weekend is why the meaning continues to be lost. We used to celebrate Memorial Day on May 30. In 1971 Memorial Day was changed to be the last weekend in May to allow for a three-day weekend. No matter what the reason for the decline of the meaning of the day we can find ways to help more people understand the meaning of the day

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One way is to talk to your kids or grandkids about the sacrifice you or other family members have paid in your lifetime to ensure our freedom. Remind them of the trials and tribulations it has taken for life to be as it is today.

Another way is to attend a Memorial Day service and bring your kids, grandkids and friends along. You may understand the meaning of the day, but this will help others to see that people do care and people do recognize the price others have paid.
You could even say an extra prayer with your family before dinner for the heroes who have given their lives.

Another way is to join with other Americans for the National Moment of Remembrance. The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity, for one minute.

The moment is not meant to replace the traditional Memorial Day event, it is meant to act as a national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. It is hoped that it will help American regain the meaning of the day.

It makes no difference what you do if you just take the time.

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