Good morning, happy Monday & wishing you a warm & blessed Memorial Day!
Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Today is so much more than just the kickoff to summer, it’s a day to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free.
Last November my family stopped in at a Wendy’s for lunch and there was an older gentleman sitting in a booth with a “WW2” hat on. I could not pass up the opportunity to strike up a conversation with him. The stories this gentleman told were fascinating … I was truly honored to hear a little bit of his journey. I told my children that they just engaged in a conversation with a real American hero.
Immediately following that conversation, as we were eating our lunch, one of my boys asked me “Daddy, what would have happened if the U.S. did not win World War II?” I shudder to even entertain such a thought.
In January, I had the incredible privilege of visiting Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. Talk about a moving experience. Here amongst gorgeous beaches and multi-million dollar high-rises sits the water grave for many of the 2,341 service members who were killed that ‘day that will live in infamy.’
Both of my grandfathers were military men. My dad’s dad served in the Korean War and my mom’s dad served in the Vietnam War.
We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our brave men & women in uniform. The sacrifices they and their families make to keep us free are remarkable.
To the veterans and their families reading this memo, I say THANK YOU! I am constantly blown away by your dedication and service to our great nation. You are heroes and I salute you. God bless you and God bless America.