Memorial Day is unlike any other holiday Americans observe. It is neither joyful nor celebratory. The case can be made that, in fact, it is downright sad.
That sadness, however, should be honored and appreciated.While many will use this day to check out the latest sales at the mall, others will spend it on the lake, ingesting too much alcohol and getting their first significant sunburn of the season. Properly stocked ice chests and cures for their parched skin will be foremost in these people's minds. The fact that an American soldier lost his life in service to our country will be an idea that is no closer to them than the star that causes their sunburn.Memorial Day has become the "unofficial" start of summer. In the early 1970s, politicians in Washington, D.C., decided that many federal holidays being observed on specific dates should move around each year to create three-day weekends.That plan worked great for Columbus Day and Labor Day, but solemn, introspective holidays such as today's have become, for many, nothing but an extended respite from work and a chance to engage in the unimportant nonsense that occupies many of our daily lives.An effort has gained ground over the past decade to move Memorial Day back to its original May 30 date. Supporters of the idea believe that making it part of the three-day weekend diminishes the day's significance.John Ott, coordinator of the Memorial Day services at Mount Olivet Cemetery, doesn't necessarily agree."If people don't have a sense of what the day is for, the date it is observed won't matter," he said. Ott understands that teaching patriotism and honoring our fallen troops is more important than a specific date on the calendar.How right he is! Sadly, an ever-growing number of Americans have little or no clue as to the significance of Memorial Day.Recently, I spent an afternoon at Tarrant County College Northeast Campus, where I did an impromptu survey of 50 students. Most were under 22, but three were in their 30s.Of the 50 I spoke with, 13 correctly identified what Memorial Day represents. Thirty-nine could correctly identify three of the Kardashian sisters.I'd like to say I was surprised, but there is no point in lying. If we fail to teach our children the importance of days like Memorial Day and Veterans Day, we have failed miserably as parents and as a society.Over the course of our nation's history, approximately 1.5 million troops have made the ultimate sacrifice. More than 600,000 died in the Civil War, and 520,000 lives were lost in World Wars I and II.These numbers represent families. Mothers, dads, brothers, sisters, wives and children who saw a loved one go off to war, never to return. Not just on Memorial Day, but every day, we should at least take some time to think about the lives lost defending each of us.At 6:30 tonight, Mount Olivet Cemetery will hold a Memorial Day service to honor those who gave their lives for our country. It is the 83rd annual gathering, one of the longest-running Memorial Day events in the nation. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price will be the keynote speaker. I'll be there, and I encourage each of you to turn off the TV, leave the mall, get out of the pool and join me. Honoring lives cut short to protect a nation and a way of life is the least we can do.Gerald Page of Richland Hills is a member of the 2012 Star-Telegram Community Columnist Panel. gpage58@gmail.comHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
