Time to remember

Memorial Day has come to mean the beginning of summer, a time for picnics and barbecues, and a holiday to gather with family. That happiness and freedom, however, is a product of the real cause for the holiday: the sacrifice made by men and women who have fought and died for the freedoms and liberties Americans hold dear.

Memorial Day is a time to remember that the American way of life is not cheap but rather has been purchased by the lives and blood of so many who have sacrificed for us to live free and happily now.

Since the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord 250 years ago and our Revolutionary War began, American men and women have been answering the nation’s call to duty. Millions of Americans have fought on battlefields here and in other countries to defend our way of life.

We salute the Patriots who froze through the winter at Valley Forge – to the soldiers in the muddy trenches of Europe - to the platoons who fought in the jungles of Vietnam and those now guarding the waters in Arab countries and all those serving in our military because they believed in the dignity of mankind. It didn’t matter the color of their skin, what religion they practiced or whether they were rich or poor. They fought and often died in the need for freedom for all.

So now it’s up to the living to remember their sacrifice and dedication to all of us so freedom will continue to prevail. We need to express our love and thanks for the sacrifices they made as they served with bravery and honor to protect our country. Let us remember them on this Memorial Day and every day of our lives.

Mike Formento, Commander

Glen Ellyn American Legion Post 3