Memorial Day - A Salute to our Veterans

For those of you who don't know, I am doing an internship at the Veteran's Medical Center in Salt Lake. I work in the Valor House, which is part of the Homeless Program for Veterans. I wanted to say a few words about my new perspective on Memorial Day.

I gained a new respect for Memorial Day after sitting through a 90 minute presentation at the VA where 35+ junior high school students presented 35+ handmade quilts to some Utah Veterans. The event went unnoticed by the world, particularly the news media, where only a 3 minute spot was done by ABC channel 4 news on Friday afternoon. But the impact that had on the veteran's with whom I work was monumental and unforgettable. I hope the experience was similar for the kids.

So originally, Memorial Day was set on May 30th to recognize the veterans who lost their lives, were POW's, were/are MIA, and those who survived. (though mostly it was for the vets who had lost their lives). Currently, we (meaning Congress) changed it to be the last Monday in May. The reason for this is so that employers didn't have people taking a holiday in the middle of the week. Thus, it was changed so that we all could enjoy a nice three-day weekend. Unfortunately, this change has altered the perception of some about the importance of Memorial Day. Now, I'm not suggesting that we need to spend the whole day in sackcloth and ashes remembering our fallen patriots; but I am suggesting that before we spend the whole day in a well-deserved vacation time, that we take a few minutes to ponder over the freedoms we enjoy and the cost of lives, blood, and other losses with which that freedom was purchased.

I myself have two grandfathers who served in World War II. One of them has passed away and the other is still alive and kicking. I want to say, "Thank You" to both of them (and the millions of other veterans) for serving so valiantly and courageously in the cause of freedom. Their service preserves our freedom, a freedom that I take for granted sometimes. Working for the VA has helped me see how much some of these veterans have suffered and gone through to preserve that freedom.

So even though Memorial Day 2008 has passed into existence, I hope that you can find some time this week to enjoy a few minutes of quiet reverence for our fallen men and women who fought for us.