Remembering Memorial Day

For most Americans, Memorial Day is the unofficial kick-off to summer. The first barbecue. A long weekend. Time to start wearing white again. Perhaps a sale that you've been waiting for so you can afford the big-screen television.

Having grown-up in relative peacetime, the Memorial Day parade on Riverside Drive to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on 89th Street was an opportunity to watch older men marching along, carrying ceremonial wreaths to lay at the monument. I didn't know anyone who had been lost at war. I could not relate.

As we start this "holiday" weekend, it is important that we take at least a moment to realize that in the past few years, a whole new crop of soldiers - over a thousand - have given their lives for something they believed in. These were men and women - virtually all of them younger than me - who joined the armed forces out of a desire to either better themselves or to better their country. They chose a noble path and met with the ultimate sacrifice. And all of this for a war most of us feel was uncalled for. A tragedy no matter how we look at it.

So enjoy your time off, enjoy that grilled burger. Smell the sea air. Just take a moment to remember that in the last century there were thousands upon thousands of men and women who put their lives on the line to preserve something we generally take for granted. Remember that we hope we never again have to use their services. And remember that they have gone to their final rest fighting for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They will not be enjoying a day at the beach this weekend, nor will their families. It is the least we can do to remember that the word "memorial" implies that a loss has been suffered. It is the least we can do to pause and say "thank you" from our hearts.