Honoring and remembering our fallen heroes is reason for Memorial Day
Our nation has been blessed. Since our country's founding nearly two and half centuries ago, men and women of every generation have answered the call to serve. They left homes, families, and friends to enter military service that was typically harsh and often brutal. They sacrificed the comforts, conveniences and certainties of civilian life and placed all at risk for the greater good - for the preservation of our Freedoms.
Those who serve in our military often endure long separations from what we, as citizens, take for granted as a normal life. They can be called to action at any moment of the day or night, in any place in the world, and in extreme conditions where the threat to their very existence surrounds them. In the blink of an eye, physical wounds can change their bodies forever. In an instant, moral injuries can harm their souls for a lifetime.
The ones that return home are called veterans. Sometimes they continue their service to our nation in other ways. Most often, they simply remove their uniforms and return to civilian life - without asking for anything. But they always remember their experiences in the military. They always remember the people they served with - especially those brothers and sisters who did not have the good fortune to come home. Veterans will tell you that these are the real heroes.
Those that did not return are our fallen heroes - the men and women who died in the service of our nation. From the Revolutionary War to the present time, more than 1.3 million Americans have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. The number is large, but the impact on these families (known as Gold Star Families) is incalculable.
One cannot describe the feelings of a spouse, parent, sibling, relative or friend with the sudden loss of a loved one - most often in distant lands under terrible circumstances and sometimes without the return of remains.
But we can do something for our Fallen heroes and their families. We can honor and remember them on Memorial Day.
Memorial Day parades are hosted in many towns. They bring the community together to honor our veterans and to remind everyone of the service and sacrifice of so many. In Arlington Heights, the Memorial Day parade is a wonderful experience for the veterans riding in the parade and for those along the parade route. For over a mile, people on both sides stand, clap and yell "Thank You!" When the Vietnam Veterans of America march by, people yell "Welcome Home!" - two words that these veterans did not hear at the end of their service.
But a parade is not the reason for Memorial Day. Indeed, these parades recognize our veterans, but their real purpose is to bring people to the Memorial Day Ceremony - typically at the parade terminus. It is at the ceremony where the community gathers for the true purpose of Memorial Day - to honor and remember our fallen heroes.
Throughout our nation, each town has fallen heroes - the men and women who sacrificed all. Their sacrifice is part of the very soul of the community. People should know about their community's fallen heroes. Often, they are commemorated on a List. If your town does not have a List of its fallen heroes, then set to work searching for their names. It is a profoundly moving experience as each fallen hero is brought back to memory. Then search for the families. Sometimes they are close by. Other times they have moved or even passed away. Regardless, a contact about the community's efforts to honor and remember their fallen hero is a wonderful gift.
Many communities place their fallen hero names on veteran's memorials. In Arlington Heights, you can find Arlington's 58 fallen heroes commemorated on special bricks at Memorial Park. Beyond the fallen hero's names, the details of their service and death are inscribed for all to see.
The focus of any Memorial Day ceremony is the reading of the town's fallen heroes. With many of Gold Star families present, this is the moment that we bring them back to our town's memory. It honors their supreme sacrifice. It reminds us to treasure the freedoms that we enjoy. It motivates each of us to live a good, full life - a life that these fallen heroes did not enjoy.
While I was in the Army, I learned of a deeply held belief: "That a soldier dies twice. The first time is when they fall on the battlefield. The second time is when their name is no longer spoken." It is this belief that motivates the reading of fallen hero names everywhere.
In Arlington Heights, prior to our reading, we make a solemn promise to our Gold Star families: That as long as one veteran or patriot resides in our town, their fallen heroes will always be honored and never will they be forgotten.
This Memorial Day, please make every effort to honor and remember our fallen heroes. Attend your community's Memorial Day events. Thank our veterans for their service. But remember our fallen heroes. It is their sacrifice that has made our freedoms, our very lives possible.
Greg Padovani is an Arlington Heights village board member and chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights.