Coffee’s Corner – Memorial Day
May 16, 2019
It is hard to believe that May is here and summer is coming fast! The start of another busy season is just around the corner for those of you who drive trucks, work in the trenches, and are busy on the front lines building and servicing things. The unofficial gateway to the summer season is Memorial Day weekend, and it’s this holiday that I’d like to make the focus of this month’s edition of “Coffey’s Corner.”
Please join me in paying tribute to all the brave men and women who have lost their lives while serving this country. As a veteran, I have learned the fundamental fact that freedom isn’t free. Freedom is not a given right, it’s not guaranteed by politicians or even by the Constitution of the United States. Freedom is, and has always been, something we have to fight hard for.
Since the opening salvos of the American Revolution at the battles of Lexington and Concord, straight through to the current and ongoing War on Terror, more than 1.3 million Americans have laid down their lives to defend this nation and secure our way of life. If we include those wounded, that number swells to more than 2.8 million.
The reason we remain a free nation today is because our nation’s military is standing watch, on the land, in the air, and both on and under the sea.
For those history buffs out there, you may find it interesting to know that Memorial Day dates back to the American Civil War. Originally and unofficially called “Decoration Day,” it was a day to honor those who served and died during the War. Started in the Southern States during the War, it quickly spread and by 1868 was adopted as a national tradition. Over the course of the next 100 years, the name slowly morphed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day, and in 1967 became the holiday we celebrate on the last Monday of May in modern times.
So this coming Memorial Day, while you are flipping burgers, spending time at the beach, drinking beer and watching sports on TV, remember that Memorial Day is more than just a three-day weekend. It’s a time to reflect and give thanks to the 1,358,026 Americans who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Everybody stay safe out there and have a Happy Memorial Day!