Memorial Day: Remember, Reflect, and Don’t Waste A Minute

Chris Albert 00:00:00 (link to this point)

So I was watching a commercial the other day, an L.L.Bean commercial. And, it was it started I think it was like a camera shot going off of a pier headed into a lake. And, you know, you hear laughing and you hear, a little bit of giggling and screaming and and, people are stripping off their clothes.

Right? And these are L.L.Bean clothes being stripped and and tossed onto the dock there as people were jumping off into the lake. And it panned off, it said, happy Memorial Day, L.L.Bean. And for many people for many people around The United States, Memorial Day signifies the beginning of summer, the beginning of the warmer months. And we spend it, you know, enjoying barbecues, enjoying the beautiful weather, enjoying this beautiful country, and for many people, what is, the end of a long winter.

And I think that, you know, with that celebration, there are many people out there, many within the veteran community and outside the veteran community who feel that that celebration is not warranted. That people shouldn't use Memorial Day as a time to celebrate. You know, my personal feeling on it is that if we are celebrating, that's not really a bad thing. Because those brave young men and women who fought and died throughout the wars to create, make, and and maintain the security of this country. They died so that people could enjoy barbecue.

So that that they could enjoy, know, time with their family and enjoy these warmer months and enjoy all the freedoms and the relative security that this country has to offer. But I think it's also important that regardless of what we do on that day, we keep in mind what this holiday is really all about. You know, Memorial Day, it really isn't a time to thank living veterans. It's a time to honor our dead. It's a time to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

And the first Memorial Day happened on May 30, 1868. And that was when the then commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, John A. Logan, issued what was called General Order Number 11, which said that flowers were to be strewn across the graves of the soldiers who had fought in the latest war against the rebellion, which was the civil war. And that extended to all cities and and gravesides throughout The United States. And, you know, on both sides, we had lost so many young men in that war. It was catastrophic, and it was something that was felt for a very long time afterwards.

You know, nobody really didn't know somebody who hadn't died in the Civil War or or they didn't know anybody who hadn't lost anybody in the Civil War. And so that's what they did in the very first Memorial Day. It was centered on Arlington National Cemetery, which was actually land taken away from General Lee. And that was where we began to lay to rest our heroes. And flowers were strewn across the graves of, those warriors who were laid in rest in Arlington National Cemetery.

And then in 1971, the federal government extended the holiday to honor all soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen who had died across any war fought for The United States. And again, you know, I think it's important that we keep that in mind. We keep it's important that we keep in mind the sacrifices that allow us to do the things that we're able to do, that allow us to be able to go to work in relative safety, that allow us to be able to, do what we want to, become what we want to, and enjoy all the freedoms that this country has to offer. But in my mind, you know, one of the greatest ways that we can continue to honor those fallen heroes is to always remember one thing. You know, your life is temporary.

And because it's temporary, you need to make the most of every moment, every second, every minute that you have here. You need to make the most of it, and you need to live your best life. That means taking care of your body, taking care of your health, you know, working hard, making sure that you're doing everything that you can to be the best version of yourself. Because again, at the end of the day, that truly is what those brave men and those brave women fought and died for. So that you have the freedom to do anything you want to do, not under the duress of tyranny, but to make the most of the years that you have here on this earth.

And so on this Memorial Day weekend, be safe, enjoy your family, enjoy the beautiful weather, but always keep in mind the memories of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to be able so that you can be able to make the most out of your life. Thank you so much for watching and listening, and I'll be back at you again soon with another episode of the Warrior Soul podcast.