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Elk Grove family keeps alive true meaning of Memorial Day

For the parents and sister of Marine Cpl. John T. Olson of Elk Grove Village, Memorial Day could hardly strengthen the vivid memories of their loved one's courage and humor even 10 years after his death in Iraq.

But the holiday provides an ever-welcome opportunity to make their remembrance a more communal experience.

In fact, raising awareness of the true meaning of the day among her and her brother's generation has become something of a personal mission for 26-year-old Courtney Olson.

She said she's felt irritation when co-workers and peers have characterized it merely as a day off or the start of summer. And many confuse it with Veterans Day as a time to “thank a veteran,” she added.

While interning for the Elk Grove Park District two years ago, Courtney had the chance to give a speech at the village's Memorial Day ceremony that addressed these very issues.

“In reality,” she said, “it is a solemn holiday, remembering those that fought for our country and made the ultimate sacrifice.”

For Courtney and her parents, John and Diana, the passage of time has affected how they've kept the younger John's memory alive.

They've always known that someone of his great humor would never have wanted them to spend their lives grieving, but only in the past three years have they felt able to respect that wish.

“We're trying to celebrate his life rather than mourn his death,” his father said.

The winding down of overseas combat operations also helped bring some peace of mind that the mission had been achieved, the elder Olson said. But some of that has been lost again with the rise of new international threats such as the Islamic State, he added.

The family found some new comfort only months ago by learning something they once weren't sure they wanted to know — the exact circumstances of John's death.

Tough they'd known he was killed by an improvised explosive device, a friend of John's finally revealed that it occurred while on a successful mission to rescue another unit that was in trouble, Diana said. Her son was the only one to lose his life, and the friend who related the story had been in the unit that was saved.

The story demonstrates the selflessness the young man had, as does the fact he had volunteered for a third deployment, Diana said.

“He said, 'If I don't go, someone with a family is going to have to go,'” she said.

Two of his Marine buddies have since named sons after him.

One is named John, the other is Olson.

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