Published: May 23, 2009 10:30 pm      

Remember the families, too, this Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, as we reflect on the lives given by the thousands of men and women who have given their lives for our freedom, I encourage all of you to think about something extra, something often overlooked and unmentioned: the sacrifices of the families of our men and women in uniform.

As our uniformed men and women fight and die to provide the blanket of freedom under which we so comfortably live, their families silently serve, too. Parents, husbands, wives and children all must put their family lives on hold as their loved ones are sent to places far and near in order that we may enjoy the freedom we so dearly love.

These family members are fully aware of the danger their loved ones face, and they serve our country in a way many people do not understand, and in a way for which there is little credit given.

The family members left behind by our deployed servicemen and women have to live their lives with the fear that their loved ones may never return, and they have to live with this burden while carrying on with the other day-to-day burdens about which most of us so readily complain. So while we honor the men and women who have lost their lives fighting for this great country, please also remember the family members of these fallen heroes, because they have served, and continue to serve our country, just as well. Likewise, as you encounter families of the military men and women temporarily stationed in Meridian, please thank them for their service to our country, through the support given to their spouses, mothers and fathers, who are so willing to fight and die for each and every one of us.



Jason Armstrong

Meridian