When you drink your coffee, eat breakfast, grill those hot dogs and enjoy a day of leisure on this Memorial Day, remember what this special Monday is about.
It's about thousands and thousands of military personnel who have served this country in the name of freedom, some from other parts of the country, some from your neighborhood.
People have given their lives, defending our borders and defending intrusions against freedom around the world, so that we can enjoy liberties that many people do not have.
The Sun-Gazette has portrayed many of these true military heroes in its weekly "Defenders of Freedom" series. One of the things that stands out in most of the portrayals is how modest most of these people are. They don't seem to consider what they have done in the service of their country to be anything special.
We should all know better. Defending freedom, putting their lives behind those of others, putting a military assignment in the name of their nation ahead of their welfare, that's heroism.
For all of our country's oft-discussed political divisions, we are united by freedoms that are the envy of the world. We are united by a sense of purpose, a purpose best grasped by those who have served us in uniform.
Honor them today with a word, a thought, a prayer and a remembrance recognizing that what they have done is truly special.
