Reader:

Why Memorial Day Matters

Remembering those who gave everything for freedom

Memorial Day is more than the unofficial beginning of Summer.

It is a day set aside to honor the men and women of our Armed Forces who gave their lives defending our nation and our freedom.

While the exact origins of Memorial Day are debated, its purpose is not.

After the Civil War claimed more than 620,000 American lives, communities across the country — both North and South — began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers each spring. This tradition became known as Decoration Day.

In 1868, General John Logan declared it a national observance. Eventually, it became what we now know as Memorial Day.

Since America’s founding, more than 1.5 million American service members have died in war defending freedom.

A few numbers:
• Civil War — 620,000
• World War I — 117,000
• World War II — 406,000
• Korea — 37,000
• Vietnam — 58,000
• Iraq & Afghanistan — 7,500

But numbers alone cannot capture their courage, sacrifice, or the grief carried by the families they left behind.

Consider just a few examples:

• The Maryland 400, who sacrificed themselves during the Revolutionary War to help George Washington’s continental army escape from New York.

• The 20th Maine at Gettysburg, who fixed bayonets and charged the enemy after running out of ammunition, helping save the Union line.

• The soldiers of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne, surrounded during the Battle of the Bulge, who refused to surrender and replied with one unforgettable word: “Nuts.”

• The Marines at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, who fought through brutal winter conditions and overwhelming enemy forces while refusing to give up.

These are only a few stories among thousands of acts of courage performed in defense of liberty.

So today, while enjoying time with family and friends, while standing around the grill, visiting the beach, or simply enjoying the freedoms we often take for granted — pause for a moment.

Remember those who never came home.

Remember the families who carried that loss forever.

And remember:
Freedom isn’t free.

It was purchased through courage, sacrifice, and blood.

May God continue to bless America,
and protect her from all enemies — foreign and domestic.

That is today’s Morning Minute.

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Feel free to forward or recopy this message. Please however, just keep it complete and intact as it is a tribute to those who served and died in service to the USA.

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While we remember those who died in battle, let's also remember those who served and came back home to raise their families after their tours. In my family they include Jack S. Bonorato and Robert Dye who both served in WW2, and Jack H. Bonorato who served during Vietnam. They answered the call to serve, served faithfully, and are no longer with us. May they rest in peace knowing that we love them still, honor their service. and will always respect them.

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-Larry B.

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(published by the Bonorato Creative Group, LLC; all rights reserved)