Memorial Day, 2012

My husband found a picture of a woman lying face down on a blanket that had been laid on the ground in front of a white cross in a military cemetery. The caption on the picture said, “Remember, this is Memorial Day, not National Bar-B-Que Day”. Simple and to the point – today we are to be remembering the heroes who have given their lives for our freedom. I’ll be the first to admit that for many years I did not do a whole lot of remembering but a lot of focusing on the preparations for the bar-b-que.

TJ’s military service has changed my perspective on many of these national holidays. But even more than his military service, through his own actions I am finding myself being taught what it means to recognize, honor, and thank those who have or are serving.

Several weeks, maybe even a few months ago, TJ felt that something needed to be done on his base to honor and remember several of the Security Force members that have died while serving. TJ took it upon himself to plan, organize, and prepare a service for them during the Memorial Day weekend.

Now, when TJ takes it upon himself to do something like this, he is going to make sure that it is the very best service possible for these heroes. He secured the use of a large room on base. He had 8x10 pictures printed and framed of each Airman. Each picture was hung on a wooden cross and a vase with a single rose and a small American flag was in front. When possible, TJ had a second picture of the Airman just to the side of the cross. There was also another framed piece on the other side of the cross. This piece was some type of writing. I am not sure if this was a poem or the Airman’s story, but TJ had one at each man’s place. And finally, there was a notebook with a pen on it beside each Airman’s place. We assume this was for people to write their own remembrances.

It was obvious from the pictures that a few of these fallen heroes served with military dogs. On the floor, beside their place, was an empty kennel, a dog toy on the top, and the empty feeding bucket at the kennel’s opening – all symbols of the special member of this Security Force team.

At the front of the platform, TJ had the bayonets displayed in military memorial fashion; a bayonet stuck into a wooden platform, dogtags hanging over the end with the military helmet over that, and a pair of boots in front of the bayonet. I counted nine in all.

From the pictures, it appeared that as you entered the room TJ had a “head table” of sort. A flag folded in the customary triangle sat in a stand to one side with the Security Force’s dress-blue military hat on the other side. Between these two was a beautiful bouquet of roses, a written document, possibly the same one that was displayed at each Airman’s site and another book of some type.

TJ invited his fellow Security Force Airmen to join him for this service to honor those their base had lost. It is obvious from his pictures that there was time for those who came to simply walk through the room, stopping at each Airman’s site to pay tribute to them and reflect on the service each man gave to their base and more so, to their country. At some point, there was a service. I don’t know much about the service, but I do know that TJ stood and spoke at it. He was in full military dress blues and had written his speech out, yet he still had difficulty getting through it without choking up at the thought that they were paying tribute to his fellow Airmen, from his base, who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his freedom.

As this Memorial Day comes to a close and the bar-b-ques are cooled and cleaned, I am not only thankful to the countless men and women who have given their lives securing my freedom but I am deeply grateful for a son who voluntarily is serving to ensure we remain free and continues to remind me, through his own actions, how to recognize, honor, and pay tribute to our military armed forces.