Honoring sacrifice while celebrating freedom

This weekend, we welcome the unofficial start of summer by firing up the grill, opening our pools, and gathering outside with family and friends to embrace the return of warm weather. We’re also celebrating Memorial Day, one of our country’s most solemn holidays.

The juxtaposition of revelry and solemnity is stark. After all, Memorial Day is an occasion to honor and remember those who have sacrificed their lives in military service. The holiday is deeply rooted in mourning and reflection, not pool parties and hot dogs.

But I believe there is a connection between the contradictory elements: The ability to gather with loved ones and enjoy our freedom is precisely what these brave men and women fought to protect. By doing so, it allows us to pay tribute to their sacrifices.

Make your celebrations more meaningful by combining revelry and reflection. Go to a Memorial Day parade and experience the joys of a community event or partake in a summer barbecue and reflect on the men and women who lost their lives for our freedom.

Sharing family memories of service

Memorial Day was, is, and always will be an occasion to honor the men and women who were killed while serving our country. Many also use the day to remember veterans who are no longer with us. We are rapidly losing what’s considered to be our “Greatest Generation.” This year, for the first time, the number of World War II veterans still alive will fall below 100,000.

One of those we lost in recent years was my father-in-law, Bill Irwin Moore. Irk, as he was known to family and friends, flew a B-29 Superfortress for three years in the Pacific Theater before returning home to civilian life in Pennsylvania. He rarely spoke about being in the military.

That is until my oldest son, James, started asking him questions, which prompted Irk to reveal more about his role in the Army Air Corps. James went on to research his grandfather's service record and shared his fascinating story with our family.

Watching James talk about his grandfather became a teaching moment for all of us. We’ve turned it into a patriotic holiday family tradition that involves assigning a research project on a family member’s service to one of our grandchildren.

During the holiday celebration, the family member reports back findings like James did so many years ago. It’s a great way to keep memories and sacrifices alive on Memorial Day, July Fourth, and Veterans Day. I hope you will give it a try with your young family members.

Community remembrance

Memorial Day is an opportunity to be part of public acts of remembrance, like wreath-laying ceremonies and parades. They help unite us, reinforce our collective memory, and keep veterans’ stories alive.

These acts also provide a platform for educating younger generations about the history and significance of the holiday. It’s one of the reasons why I admire Wreaths Across America, which every December places millions of wreaths at national cemeteries across the country.

The organization started more than 30 years ago when the wreath company owned by Karen Worcester and her husband, Morrill, had an excess of inventory. They decided to place the wreaths on graves at Arlington National Cemetery.

The act of kindness grew over the years, and now thousands of volunteers work every December to place wreaths on more than 3 million veterans’ graves. Very importantly, about a third of the participants are children – and Wreaths Across America has turned its event into a very teachable moment. As Karen told me:

“It goes beyond just placing the wreaths on the graves. The volunteers are there in person, placing the wreath, and saying the name of the veteran out loud. It teaches the kids that this is something besides the stone.”

Memorial Day weekend – with all its contradictions – is a teachable moment for all of us. It encourages us to consider the complexities of history, the impact of sacrifice, and the interconnectedness of our past, present, and future.

It reminds us of the ongoing responsibility to share this history with our children and grandchildren by teaching them the importance of honoring and supporting those who serve in the military and their families. And it calls us all to strive for a world where peace and freedom are cherished, protected, and celebrated.

All the best,

Jim