Memorial Day is an American holiday on the last Monday of May that honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This is the official definition of Memorial Day, however, I believe Memorial Day is a day to say “Thank You” and to acknowledge the ultimate sacrifices military service members have made to make our republic free and safe for future generations.
The photo above is my Uncle Joe, I never got to meet him as he was killed in action during the invasion of Okinawa during World War 2. The only connection I had with my Uncle Joe was our military service to our country and my mom’s memories of her brother. My mom would tell me stories about her brother, growing up in South Philly. She would recount these stories so vividly and they would always bring a huge smile to her face, until she got to the last one. Mom was 15 years old, sitting on her front step when those two sailors came to their door to inform my grandmother her son was killed in action. Mom said her mother and family never really recovered from this loss. Joe’s body was never recovered, so the Callan family never got to give Uncle Joe a proper burial, they never got say goodbye.
Memorial Day is a day to recognize all those soldiers, sailors, Marines and airman who paid the ultimate price for all the freedoms with celebrate today but it also a day to cherish their memory for the rest of our lives because they have certainly earned that respect!