Memorial Day: No greater love

There are at least five military installations within a 60-mile radius from where I live – one Army fort, three Air Force bases and a Naval air station. To say this is a military town would be an understatement.

My father served in the Navy in the late 1950s aboard the USS Forrestal. My father-in-law was career Air Force retiring after 25 years of active duty, including several tours in Vietnam. Friends, neighbors and co-workers have all served, their families and spouses making sacrifices few civilians can comprehend.

I still get a thrill when I hear jets from the nearby air base fly over my house. I choke up during the singing of the National Anthem. I have paid the meal tab for uniformed members of our military when I’ve eaten out at local restaurants. I am in awe of what these men and women do on a daily basis.

Our service men and women deserve our respect and support, they have EARNED it day after day, months and years on end.

Freedom is not free. These men and women have given to their last to protect our freedoms. Thank a vet or active military member today, shake their hand, tell their children and spouses how much you appreciate them, and say a prayer for those military men and women who have lost their lives in service of this country.

“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” ~ John 15:13