How can you say thank you to those who are gone?

On Memorial Day we are challenged to pause, remember and say thanks to those fallen military who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today in this great country. Amid ceremonies, gatherings, picnics and sales we might get lost in the “holiday” rather than it’s meaning.

As a veteran, author and staff writer for Precision Sign & Graphics; I would like to present an article answering the thought: How can you say thank you to those who are gone?

All Gave Some, but Some Gave All

In this popular song we are reminded that while all veterans gave to their country on some level, some gave all with the ultimate gift for our freedom; their very life. As a veteran of Desert Storm and 3^rd generation of wartime military service, I have often shared with my grandfather and father about friends that didn’t come home.

I once asked my granddad: “What can we do about it?” He answered, “never forget.” Then my Dad spoke up “make sure their sacrifice wasn’t in vein.” That statement helped me realize that the best way to say thanks to those who were gone, is to preserve the values that they died for.

America is More than a Slogan

America was founded on principles and values that resisted the will of a tyrannical government. As part of setting up a free society, they imbedded these values into the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These rights were to preserve our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, but it didn’t stop there.

When we learned that freedom meant the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion without an oppressive regime governing or limiting these freedoms; we soon experienced the power that freedom had as we built a new nation, under God. This freedom created opportunities, prosperity, motivated people to seek their fortunes, empowered the Gospel of Jesus Christ to go forth without religious bonds; becoming the foundational values that soon would be the envy of the world.

We believed that these freedoms we’re given by God himself to do His will without bounds, we believed it to the extent of defending it.

At times we have been called upon to fight to preserve these freedoms and help release others from those tyrannical bonds. If it had not been for the sacrifices of these brave men and women, millions today would still be oppressed by tyrants, begging for food and killed for expressing liberty. We, and the world are indebted to their sacrifice.

I Didn’t Fight for a Country

I had the privilege as a sponsor of the Veteran Defense Program in my town to sit down with Veterans and share wartime stories, accounts of heroism and days of fear.

In the meeting was a young lady from the local high school, when she thanked the WW2 Veteran for fighting for his country, he replied: “I didn’t fight for my country, I fought for my brother.” He continued “To place the welfare of the whole country on the shoulders of one Marine is a war too big to win. I fought for my fellow Marines, if we all did that; we win.”

Behind the Scenes

The sacrifices of those spouses and dependents of our fallen heroes MUST be recognized and support given to truly honor their sacrifice. I believe a government and its people will be judged by how it treats the dependents of a fallen soldier. I can only imagine the nights of concern my spouse experienced while I was deployed and how much she, and my children have sacrificed taking care of me since I came home in a wheelchair.

While my sacrifice will always be remembered each time I look at my family’s face, at least I came home. We should go beyond the “thank you” to ensure that the dependents of our fallen heroes are taken care of emotionally and financially through support assistance and vocational retraining.  

How can you say thank you to those who are gone?

Preserve here, at home the values that have made this country the envy of the world. Every day our own government looks for ways to legislate away freedoms, restrict free speech and attempts to legislate immorality through liberal censorship. Perhaps if we truly want to honor their sacrifice we would remember those fundamental values that made America great: hard work, perseverance, family, faith and freedom.

Honoring their Sacrifice Daily

Precision Sign and Graphics is a locally owned and operated sign company that honors our veterans and their sacrifices. We understand it is their unwavering strength in adversity that preserves the freedom we have to have a sign and graphics business in the Riverside, CA. area (or anywhere else for that matter). We look forward to building long-term relationships with our customers by treating every customer with respect, understanding the diversity of opinions and a partnering mindset desiring to see your business succeed.

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