This Monday, May 31st marks Memorial Day. A day where we honor and remember those in uniform who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Memorial Day dates back to 1868, and since then more than 1.3 million service members have given their lives in the service of our nation. Over the past 20 years, nearly 7,000 military personnel have paid the ultimate price, and what we often do not realize is that these men and women came from all walks of life, and enlisted in order to answer the call to serve and protect.
My husband is a combat veteran, he served in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and was attached to the special forces unit that nabbed Noriega in Panama back in January of 1990. He was a Pararescueman on the Bat 21 mission that rescued downed pilot Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton in Vietnam, in April of 1972. After several attempts, and surrounded by North Vietnamese forces, the Airforce PJ’s rescued Hambleton, but not without casualties. During this mission and many others, my husband saw his comrades give their lives for others, and he still mourns their passing.
On this Memorial Day, it’s important to step back, and take a moment to consider those who sacrificed their lives not only for the Great American Experiment but for their fellow comrades in uniform. It’s also equally important to take a moment to consider those veterans who did make it back home but have not escaped the scars of combat, trauma, flashbacks, and nightmares that continue to haunt them. Although during his tour of Vietnam, my husband and his fellow PJs and Airforce crewman rescued over 150 soldiers in 13 months, their herculean efforts were not without loss of life. During one of their forays to rescue Lt. Col. Hambleton, my husband saw the helicopter in front of him disintegrate when hit with a North Vietnamese rocket. The entire crew perished. This happened on April 2, a day that is still particularly hard for him to get through.
Memorial Day is a day not only to remember the thousands who gave their lives while serving our country, but also their families, comrades, and friends who still continue to grieve. Those who are left behind, who made it back, still grieve the passing of their friends and loved ones, and this is a heavy burden for them to bear this time of year. For my husband and thousands of others, Memorial Day is more than barbeques, camping, and a long weekend, it has a very different and special meaning.