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Vietnam chopper pilot: Why we must never forget, Memorial Day 2020

Memorial Day is when we honor all the men and women who have worn the uniform of our country by serving in the U.S. military and have passed away.

This includes those who were lost while serving and all those who are interred in our American cemeteries around the world and all cemeteries here in the United States.

Veterans Day is to honor all veterans. Memorial Day is to honor our "Fallen."

We honor our "Fallen" by placing small American flags one foot in front of their grave marker both here at home and around the world.

Yes, we also have parades and special ceremonies to honor our fallen, but the placing of flags by their grave sites leaves a lasting memory for their families and for all who place flags prior to Memorial Day. This memory is incredibly special.

On Memorial Day, we also are asked to lower our flags to "half staff from daylight to noon," another way for communities to honor our fallen.

On a personal note, having served as a chopper pilot in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, our oath was to serve others, regardless of the mission. The missions that stand out are the medevac and KIA (Killed in Action) recovery missions.

Medevac missions were top priority. Getting our wounded to the closest medical battalion or hospital ship offshore was Number 1.

At the end of the day, we brought our KIA's back from the field. They had paid the ultimate price, but we never forgot them in our memory.

Many of us were fortunate to come home safely, but we never wanted to forget those who were lost.

It is easy to forget as life moves on. But we must never forget or ignore our men and women who served and have passed on. They helped make our country the country it is.

Here in Naperville, we place almost 3,000 U.S. flags on grave sites of our "Fallen."

We are fortunate to have these identified, but every year, in addition to those veterans who passed away in the previous 12 months, we find more names, especially from early service time.

We place these flags prior to Memorial Day. It is a memorable sight to drive by or through these cemeteries to view how we "Honor our Fallen."

This is what Memorial Day is all about.

• Wayne Fischer of Naperville was a Marine helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He is active in Naperville American Legion Post 43 and Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873.

Wayne Fischer Courtesy Wayne Fischer
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