Props to the Troops Today and Everyday

We all look forward to Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer.

And that’s all well and good, especially given the events of the last 6 months and the recovery that’s been underway because of Sandy

However, hopefully not lost in the revelry is the fact that it’s the day we take time to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women who have served valiantly to preserve our way of life.

Maybe about a year ago, I attended a ceremony that felt like a little bit of Americana right down the block from where I live.

Each year the American Legion post outside of Englishtown commemorates Memorial Day with a parade running down Main Street up to the Veterans Memorial on the border of Manalapan and Englishtown.

Heartfelt because of the presence of one man. A man who represented “the Greatest Generation”.

I’m proud to say I was there to witness the love, affection, and gratitude heaped upon him.

Whispers of “thanks for your service” permeated the air, along with the obligatory 21 gun salute.

I think it was the least I could have done to show some measure of appreciation for all this man had done and his many comrades who may not have made it back from that conflict, and the others that followed.

Props to the troops, present and former.

Your service is not forgotten.

And just as an aside, let’s not forget those who’ve come back and need to be made whole again by visiting the Wounded Warrior Project site.

Let them know that their sacrifices and the sacrifices their families have made and continue to make were not in vain.