Honoring Sacrifice: Reflections on Memorial Day and the Duty of Service

Memorial Day (should) remind US that a “civil” society, insulated by harmony and fairness, is built upon the bedrock of blood, pain, and sacrifice of the American Service Member.

Freedom exacts a toll, a cost most Americans glimpse only faintly through the movies or the lens of history. Most of society moves about freely, concerned with economic growth, procreation, and self-development. But American service members labor with a heavier burden. The service member must teach the citizen the importance of suffering, violence, and killing. This Memorial Day weekend, I hope we all reflect on a truth as old as civilization: a world worth having must be defended by people willing to die in the dirt.

History will always have dissent; academics arguing wars like Vietnam failed to prevent the spread of communism, or lamenting conflicts like Iraq as avoidable tragedies. Yet, for the American service member who charged into the breach, lost friends to roadside bombs, or wrestled with silent wounds in the years after, such debates pale in comparison to the raw reality of sacrifice. This Memorial Day, I hope we reflect on that sacrifice.

I was recently called back to serve the American service member, and by extension, the American people. The weight of this responsibility weighs heavily on my mind and heart. I pledge to all those who have served before, and to all those yet to wear the uniform, I will live my life like the warrior you’ve always known. I will ensure the citizens of our nation are reminded not only of our sacrifices, but how important those sacrifices are for US. I will never apologize for our beliefs. I will always fight for what I know to be true in my heart. Until my last breath. Happy Memorial Day weekend.

LCpl Gluff, SSgt Harley, SPC Rabon, PFC Oquin, Sgt Weikert, Lt Kelley, SSgt Maupin, Lt Cathey, Capt Navas, Major Zuppinger, CplBoyd, Capt Norton, SSgt Apger, SgtMaj Parisi, Cpl Mizrahi, Capt Tice, et al.