Veterans Memorial leader: Remembering our 'Fallen Heroes,' Memorial Day 2020
Our nation has been blessed. Since its founding nearly two-and-a-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 take for granted as a normal life. They can be called to action at any moment of the day or night, at 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 these are the real heroes.
Those who 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, more than 1.3 million Americans gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. Every town has "Fallen Heroes." Their sacrifice is part of the very soul of the community.
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.
But a parade is not the reason for Memorial Day.
Indeed, the purpose of these parades is to bring people to the Memorial Day ceremony. It is at the ceremony where the community gathers for the true purpose of Memorial Day - to honor and remember our "Fallen Heroes."
The focus of any Memorial Day ceremony is the reading of the names of the fallen.
This is the solemn moment when they return to the town's memory. It honors their supreme sacrifice. It reminds us to treasure the freedoms we enjoy. It motivates each of us to live a good, full life - a life that those we honor did not enjoy.
On Memorial Day 2020, there won't be ceremonies to attend, but many towns are recording their observances. Please take time to view these.
Or visit your town's Veterans Memorial. Most include a list of your community's fallen.
In Arlington Heights, we offer both alternatives. Also, we are distributing "Arlington Remembers" signs, which include a full list of our town's "Fallen Heroes." The email will ask residents, businesses and organizations to print and display, post and forward.
This Memorial Day, please honor and remember our "Fallen Heroes." It is their sacrifice that has made our freedoms possible.
• Greg Padovani is chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights.