Memorial Day Tribute 2011

As we celebrate this long Memorial Day weekend with picnics, barbeques, and family gatherings, let us also remember the true reason for the holiday — to reverently honor and pay our respects to those who gave their lives in service of their country, preserving and protecting the freedoms that we all enjoy today. I wish I could personally thank each and every one of them for the sacrifices they and their families made for our country. I would also like to remember with gratitude our servicemen and women who, as I write this, are risking their lives every day to keep America out of harm's way. May God protect them as they protect us, and bless them and their families for the sacrifices they make for us. While we should honor these heroes every day, we should honor them especially on Memorial Day. I hope we will all take time out this weekend, as "one Nation, under God," to proudly fly our flags and bow our heads in gratitude as we remember our fallen heroes ...