Remembering why we celebrate

To many Americans, Memorial Day is a three-day weekend filled with barbeques, picnics, beach trips, and parties to celebrate the start of summer. However, it is important to remember why we celebrate.

Memorial Day is a solemn day to remember and honor our selfless United States’ military personnel who have passed away while serving our nation as a part of our Armed Forces. It is a day of both grief and celebration, as we mourn the devastating loss of life but also reflect on their selflessness, bravery, and sacrifice.

As the son of an Air Force veteran, I grew up seeing firsthand the tremendous sacrifices that our men and women in service make every single day. When these individuals answer the call to serve, they chose to make these enormous sacrifices for their family and friends, as well as all Americans, even those they have never met. They will miss holidays, weddings, funerals, and the births of their own children – and of course some will make the ultimate sacrifice, which we honor today, on Memorial Day.

As Americans, we are seriously indebted to those who gave their last full measure of devotion to our country. We can truly never do enough to honor their extraordinary act of sacrifice, loyalty, and patriotism.

So, today, we must at the very least remember why we celebrate.

Please join me in remembering the lives of our fallen military heroes. Let us honor the debt that we cannot repay and carry their sacrifices in our hearts. They lived and died for our nation, and today, on Memorial Day, we must celebrate them.