A year ago, after writing a story about a local family’s loss, my intent had been to make that an annual project: Identify a local soldier who had lost his life in defense of our country and tell his story — hopefully with the help of some surviving family members — on Memorial Day weekend.
However, life sometimes gets in the way. I could blame it on property taxes, but those seem trivial in relation to what these soldiers and their families experienced. Perhaps next year.
Realizing too late that I had not enough time to do that, Plan B had been to expand on some thoughts I’d had regarding how we should approach this summer-opening holiday weekend, but thankfully I found two essays that do a much better job.
I wonder if it can be a coincidence that both Nate Lamar and George Will built their observations around those who sacrificed during World War II. “Saving Private Ryan” has become a Memorial Day evening tradition; I recently finished watching the “Band of Brothers” series and am just beginning “Masters of the Air.”
Of all those, I can think of no better instructions on how to properly honor these men and women than with the admonition given by Tom Hanks’ character, Capt. John Miller, to Matt Damon’s Private James Francis Ryan: “Earn this.”
Have I properly honored them this past year? Am I earning it?
— Mark Miller
