Today is the last Monday in May, which means its Memorial Day,
the Federal holiday for honoring and mourning
the U.S. military personnel who died
while serving in the?United States Armed Forces.
The total number of military personnel deaths in our nation's history (dating back to the Revolutionary War) is estimated at 1,354,664.
Not included in the number of deaths is the number of wounded which totals 1,498,240 persons in our history.
The thing is, these are statistics, and we're inundated with statistics these days, especially here on social media.
(e.g., the post that celebrates "I just crossed 10k followers.")
When it comes to the military, less than 1% of the population serves in active duty these days, so most are even more disconnected from the women and men who defend this country and our awesome way of life.
The reality is that there's a person associated with each "1" that comprises the number of military deaths (and wounded).
If you want to develop a better appreciation for the number of "1s," visit one of the National Cemeteries (such as Arlington) or monuments (like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.).
Because my father served in the Army, our family makes it a habit to visit these haloed places where actual names appear (and statistics disappear).
One of the cemeteries that moved me the most was the rows of gravesites in Normandy, France at the site of the D-Day landings (June 6, 1944).
4,415 Allied soldiers died on the first day of that WWII invasion.
On each cross, there is a name, a military rank and unit, a hometown and the date of the person's death.
For me, seeing a name is very different than reading a stat.
Memorial Day is often considered the first day of summer (if you're from the Northeast), or day of awesome sales at your local retailer, instead of what it really is,
A day of mourning.
A day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Pic: Graves at Normandy Beach in France.
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I'm Marc Cabrera, a Wall Street deal maker and private investor. Follow me for hard won wisdom on finance and fitness.
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