Memorial Day - Honoring The Fallen

A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Monday, May 25, 2015, is Memorial Day - that day we set apart to remember those men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country as members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

NOT A TIME FOR CELEBRATION
This weekend millions of Americans will use this long holiday weekend to trek to some distant place for the beginning-of-summer vacation.  Unfortunately, most will "celebrate" this holiday without ever giving a thought to what it actually means.  This is not a day to celebrate, but a day to remember and honor those who served and gave their all.  This image is of the Florence American Military Cemetery just south of Florence, Italy, the burial site of more than 4,400 American soldiers who lost their lives in World War II near this location.  My wife and I visited that hallowed place and were very moved by the pristine condition and the respectful presentation honoring those brave men.

ONE MORE TIME...
Each year I've written about this day, hoping you will stop sometime next Monday and pause to reflect about the significance of this day of remembrance.  Last year I wrote this, HERE. 

TAKE A LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS
To help you remember what this date is all about, please take a look at this chart, extracted from THIS SITE.  As you scroll down through those entries, take a few minutes to let those numbers sink in.  (Click on the image to enlarge, if necessary)

PUTTING A FACE ON THE DAY

To help you understand what this actually means, let's get personal for a moment.  One of those 58,209 names listed under the Vietnam War is Sergeant Eddie Chervony, father of Costa Mesa City Employee Jeanette Chervony.  You can read about the bravery of Sergeant Chervony HERE.  He was one of the young men who bravely fought in that very unpopular war and gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service of his country.

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN
So, as you pause now to contemplate this holiday, here's a little help from Lee Greenwood.

Memorial Day - 2013

WHAT IS THIS HOLIDAY ABOUT?

As we reach the cusp of the Memorial Day holiday today and look forward to three days of recreation and relaxation, I hope you all will take a few minutes to remember just what this day is all about.  You can read the Wikipedia description and history of the holiday HERE.   

HALLOWED GROUND
I visited this place during a visit to Europe many years ago.  It's the American Military Cemetery just a couple kilometers south of Florence, Italy - the final resting place of more than 4,000 American soldiers who died nearby during World War II.  It's a beautiful place - a chunk of the USA - and is meticulously maintained to honor all those men.

STAGGERING NUMBERS

The chart below will give you an idea of how many men and women have given their lives in the defense of our country over the past couple hundred years.  As you scroll down that list it might help you get some perspective as we consider where our young men and women serve and die for us today. One of those is Costa Mesan Jose Angel Garibay, the young Marine who died a decade ago, on March 23, 2003, in Iraq.  Garibay, an illegal alien who hoped for citizenship through his military service, planned a career in law enforcement.  He was buried at Riverside National Cemetery on April 11, 2003 with full military honors, HERE, was awarded posthumous citizenship and was named honorary Costa Mesa policeman by then Police Chief Dave Snowden. 

REMEMBER THEM AND HONOR THEM...

Please take a couple minutes to view this video clip to honor our fallen men and women.  Regardless how you feel about a particular war or police action, the men and women who fought and died in them deserve your respect.