Memorial Day Thoughts

Sorry this one is late today, but we spent most of the day in the car driving back from visiting some friends in Georgia. We had a decent weekend.

And today is Memorial Day, the day we should pause and remember those who have fought for what most of us still hold dear... our freedom. So I'll offer my thoughts on the meaning of the day.

As with many other people in this country, I have a relative who served in the armed forces. My father was an Air Force pilot. In Korea, he flew an A-1 Skyraider, which is a propeller-driven dive bomber. In Vietnam, he flew as a forward air controller in what was basically a single-engine Cessna. His job was to spot air defenses facing incoming strikes, and to coordinate air assaults as they occurred. All that in an almost unarmed Cessna.

Unfortunately, I lost my father back in 1983. As I was heading to college, he died of cancer.

On this day, I try to take at least a few minutes to remember my dad as he was when he was healthy. He served his country with distinction in two wars, and I couldn't be more proud of him for that.

You have to understand that our armed forces are our protectors from outside threats... the men and women who serve are responsible for keeping this country free.

And that's an epitaph that I think would be worth having: "He died so that freedom may live."

There are worse ways to live your life than that.