How to Honor the Fallen on Memorial Day
How should we best honor the fallen warriors this and every Memorial Day? We could decorate their graves as was done on many a Decoration Day from the Civil War on until the day was renamed. Sales and barbecues are fine. But the seas of white monuments should makes us pause from our holiday activities. We can thank those who put themselves in harm’s way for us with something more heartfelt than a perfunctory “Thank you for your service.” Maybe even improve their housing, health care. Perhaps make VA hospitals and educational benefits less bureaucratic. My Uncle Thomas Kon was the son of Polish immigrants who chose to be Americans. He died over Belgium in his B-17. We could honor him and many other immigrants and children of immigrants who serve by recognizing they are American by choice, not just by happenstance of birth. How should we best honor the fallen warriors this and every Memorial Day? Maybe by recognizing that we are all Americans, that our heritage is best remembered ...