When I was six years old, I remember a man in a uniform at the front door of our house. The man didn’t
have to say a word. Mom burst into tears and then so did Dad. I knew something had to be wrong with my
brother, Cliff, because the man at the door wore the same Air Force uniform as Cliff. Just one week before
coming home permanently, Cliff was killed in a place called Da Nang, Vietnam. Cliff was twenty-three years
old. The news hit our family and friends like an earthquake. It took years to build from the rubble and the
scars are still there. There were over three hundred people at Cliff’s funeral. That taught me that one life
can intertwine with many others and that there are many names behind one name.
Through the years I learned what his death meant and to give purpose to his death which eased the pain.
I learned what that piece of cloth draped over his casket was called “a flag” and what it symbolized.
Through our country’s history I learned to understand what America is: that America has always been able
to conquer its enemies and jump any hurdle; and that America’s beacon of freedom and liberty shines to
the four corners of the globe.
I also learned that my family wasn’t the only family to go through this. Families through out America’s
history had to deal with their family’s sacrifice for our country --from the Boston Massacre to 9-11 and the
war on terrorism and all the battles and wars in between.
The more I researched and learned about America, the more proud I became of it. I learned the meaning
behind the sacrifice of lives for our country. America even with all its faults and imperfections, it is still the
best country that mankind has seen or created. That sacrifice cannot be in vain.
Providence gave our Founding Fathers the spirit and principles to create a nation to which we live. Men
and women in uniform have sacrificed their lives based on those principles. The most we can do is to try
to live up to those principles ensuring that those who paid the ultimate sacrifice did not die in vain.
Most of us will spend the extra day enjoying time with our family and friends. I can’t think of a better way to
celebrate our heroes sacrifice. Our heroes would want us to do just that. As you visit the graves of your
past loved ones, or as you watch your children or grandchildren participate in an event, or as you just
relax from the hardship of work; please take the time this holiday weekend to reflect and to feel the pride
and honor that you have of your country and of yourself. That is the best honor that you can bestow on
the memory of these heroes.
Take One Moment-The Meaning behind Memorial Day