A day we all set aside for remembrance of our war dead. That’s a gruesome statement by any measuring stick. War ravages everything and anything in its path, including human life. It disrupts our comfortable way of doing things and triggers emotions to the nth degree. How do we justify the giving of life by our uniformed military members and others, so that we may live in a free world?

In order to form a credible answer to this all assuming question, let me tell you a story. Stories have always been an excellent way to communicate thoughts and ideas. Freedom is like a pair of eyeglasses. You wear them always looking through them, enjoying what we see clearly and distinctly. In fact if you are an individual who relies on eyeglasses you sometimes forget they are there and take them for granted. You never look at them until you lose them. So it is with freedom. We enjoy freedom and we have never had to look for it, because we have never lost it. One story deserves another and this one is very close to my heart. It goes something like this. Many years ago, during World War II, a young lad attending grammar school had to write an essay for Memorial Day in Latin. A horrific challenge to say the least. This young boy’s essay was titled “America Est Magna” (translated into English: America is Great). There is no doubt this profound statement was engraved on this youth’s brain for eternity.

The text (somewhat edited) continues, “With the arrival of Decoration Day, it would be well to remember that this day’s observance, we are celebrating death. But it is more than the act of dying, for mortals die easily. We observe these deaths with honor and appreciation for those who revealed in the most tangible way possible, their love, duty, and pride for our country. They willingly defended our way of life with the giving of their life. Through out the land prayers of gratitude will be whispered by Americans everywhere. And to those who lost husbands, fathers, sons, wives, mothers, daughters, brothers and sisters, and friends, our hearts go out to them quietly.

For this day memorializes American’s belief in their democracy and the republic for which it stands and will survive. I ask how can America be anything but great. I’m sure if the young lad had been able to spell magnanimous, he would have used this adjective to describe his feelings. In those days everyone stood for the pledge of allegiance and at times when the Star Spangled Banner was heard a hand was placed over the heart. This story is true as the red, white and blue.

Yes, America honors it’s heroes today. We should be ever mindful of the supreme sacrifice these individuals have made. The third verse of the song “American The Beautiful” say it all, “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life goes on. America. America.” You all have heard these words, duty, honor, country, our uniformed services code of conduct also reaches out to us in terms of family values. Patriotism and the pursuit of happiness. The Pledge of Allegiance, The Bill Of Rights, The United States Constitution are living symbols of this great nation and set the stage for generations to come. Those precious documents help create the dreams, hopes, and inspirations of all who would be citizens of these United States.

As we dwell on this Memorial Day, remember just one thing. Go tell a story to someone using the title “American;” American ends in “I” “CAN.”