Nation Celebrates Memorial Day 2015

The nation honored the lives of fallen soldiers who died serving the country, with celebrations led by President Obama, on Memorial Day 2015.

President Barack Obama on Monday saluted Americans who died in battle, saying the country must "never stop trying to fully repay them" for their sacrifices. He noted it was the first Memorial Day in 14 years without U.S. forces engaged in a major ground war. - Read more here:

In his speech, he also paid tribute to the families of fallen servicemembers:

"Whenever I meet with our Gold Star families, like I did this morning, I hear their pride through their tears, as they flip through old photos and run their fingers over shiny medals. I see that their hearts are still broken, and yet still full of love. They do not ask for awards or honors. They do not ask for special treatment. They are unfailingly humble. In the face of unspeakable loss, they represent the best of who we are." Read more here:

Through the years, happy celebrations mark this day, such as parades, concerts, picnics and traveling out of town. However, one fact about Memorial Day, according to this article on South Florida Business Journal, is it wasn't really meant to be happy. The article continues: It's probably OK to say Happy Memorial Day, but the holiday was originally established as a solemn day of remembrance for the nation's war dead. It used to be called Decoration Day. 

For most veterans as well, there is one special thing they would like the nation to know about Memorial Day, and do: remembering those “who went before us."

"Memorial Day isn't about romanticizing war or worshiping military veterans. It's a day to recognize personal sacrifices of veterans and active military alike, regardless of their inclinations toward war," said Tech Sgt. Bill Monahan, an airman serving at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. "Too often today, ones political beliefs skew opinions on what constitutes honorable service so it is important to have a day where we can look back at who laid it all on the line." 

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Indeed, it would be a great disservice to the country if Memorial Day takes on a less than noble significance like treating it only as a day of recreation and enjoyment without remembering our fallen men and women who died defending the country from its enemies. Hence, while it is just proper to be merry as we enjoy our freedom today, it will also be worthwhile to offer our silent tribute and thanks for each of our fallen heroes.

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