On Memorial Day we gather together as a community to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives defending the United States of America. Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, began in 1868 after an order issued by Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, John A. Logan. It became a day dedicated to remembering those who never made it back home from war.
But let’s be honest about what today really means.
Today is not about barbecues.
It is not about a long weekend.
It is not about sales or celebrations.
Today is about sacrifice.
It is about young men and women, American sons and daughters, who kissed their families goodbye, put on the uniform of this nation, and never came home.
I think all of us wish we lived in a world without war, without violence, without the devastation and heartbreak that so many military families have endured. We wish no mother or father ever had to hear that knock on the door. We wish no spouse ever had to receive a folded American flag in place of the person they loved. We wish no child had to grow up without a parent because freedom demanded such an enormous price.
The feeling of losing a child or loved one in war must be unimaginable. The thought of staring at an empty bedroom for the rest of your life is heartbreaking beyond words. And yet there are families all across this nation who carry that pain every single day.
This is why Memorial Day matters.
Because freedom is not free.
It has never been free.
It was paid for with courage.
It was paid for with sacrifice.
And it was paid for with American lives.
There are many things in life we value, but there are two things that rise above all else: life and freedom. The heroes we honor on Memorial Day sacrificed one to protect the other.
Think about that for a moment.
Because of them, we wake up every day in the greatest country in the world. Because of them, we have the freedom to raise our families, speak our minds, pursue our dreams, worship freely, and control our own destinies. Because of them, we enjoy the simple moments that make life beautiful, watching our children play sports, gathering around the dinner table, celebrating birthdays and holidays and enjoying time with family and friends.
Those moments may seem ordinary, but in reality, they are extraordinary gifts. Gifts secured by the men and women who gave everything they had for this country.
The men and women we honor on this day gave us all of that and so much more. They fought for our freedoms, protected our way of life, and paid the ultimate price doing so.
And so we must do more than simply remember them.
We must honor them by how we live, we must never take our freedoms for granted, we must teach our children about sacrifice, patriotism, courage, and service, and we must always stand behind the men and women who continue to wear the uniform today.
We should also remember the families of the fallen, the mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters whose lives were forever changed by war. Their sacrifice is part of this story too.
Let us also thank those who continue to protect us every day: our veterans, our military, our police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and first responders who continue to stand on the front lines for all of us.
So on Memorial Day and every day, as we stand together under the American flag, let us remember the fallen not only with words, but with gratitude in our hearts and pride in our country.
May we never forget what they gave to us, may we never forget the price of freedom, and may we always honor the heroes who gave their lives so that America could remain the land of the free and the home of the brave.
God bless all of our fallen heroes.
God bless their families.
And God bless the United States of America.
Sergio Esposito is the Deputy Town Supervisor in Yorktown and is a candidate for New York State Senate. All government leaders and candidates for office are invited to submit guest columns to Halston Media.
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