In theory, Memorial Day is to honor the memories of those who sacrificed their lives in military service for our country. In practice, we typically celebrate this long weekend as the unofficial start of Summer and the beginning the bar-b-q season. Why is it important to remember and honor those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy our freedom?
President Abraham Lincoln said:Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure." It is important not to forget that freedom does not come cheaply. We can enjoy what we have because so many Americans through the years were lost defending us and our ideals as a nation.
Two years ago, when I was living in Germany, I visited The American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxemburg. It has 50.5 acres and contains the remains of 5,076 American military Dead, including a woman Army Nurse and the grave of General George S. Patton.
This is only one of many such places en Europe where so many of our youth perished during World War II. There is nothing like standing in the midst such a field of crosses to bring home the price of freedom!
The cemetery has a memorial which consists of a tall, columnar square chapel of white Valor stone from the Jura mountains in France, and rises 50 feet. It is reached by two flights of steps and a terrace that overlooks the graves area.
The east face has a carving in high relief of the obverse of the seal of the USA. Engraved bellow an inscription reads:
1941-1945 IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER SONS AND IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRIFICES THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"
Above the entrance to the chapel is a 23 foot sculpture of the Angel of Peace carved in Swedish Orchid Red granite.
Standing there on a wet, cold, dark, gray day I thought: If every soldier buried here could tell us their stories, what would we learn? Also, if I could talk to them, what would I say?
Then I thought about the families of the dead, and about our veterans. How many of them have stories locked in their hearts that have never been told? We might not be able to talk to the dead, but I want to suggest that as families and friends gather together, one way to honor the dead could be to ask for stories.
We could ask survivor family members of those who died serving to share stories they remember. Maybe there are letters saved, maybe there are hidden trunks with memorabilia and medals. Maybe there is a grandmother that lost a husband, son or daughter. Those heroes deserve to have their names remembered and stories about them told.
We could also ask veterans for their stories. They fought and lived with those that died. They also have stories to share that could teach us lessons. Lessons about endurance, ideals, overcoming fear, team spirit, the sad, the humorous, the poignant.
Ask them to share their most cherished memory of their war. Ask them to share which leader they remember best and why. Ask them to share what helped them survive. Ask them to share why preserving our liberty is important and worth dying for.
As a leader, think what those stories can teach you about leadership, about surviving hard times, about collaboration, and about winning against difficult odds. In celebrating the joy of friends and family together this Memorial Day, ask for and remember the stories