REMEMBERING OUR HEROES

Although summer doesn't officially begin until the middle of June, to most Americans, Memorial Day and the weekend is the start of summer. It's the first weekend of the year when American families open their swimming pools or head for the beach, plan backyard barbeques, make sure that their landscaping is in tip-top shape, post an American flag on their porch, and if they have time, they just may attend their local Memorial Day Parade. That is what most American families will do.



But there is another group of American families who will be far less focused on summer festivities or the beach or barbeques, and they probably won't have time to go to their local parade.



They will wake up on that Monday morning - Memorial Day - and instead of driving to the beach, they will drive to a cemetery. Instead of standing over a barbeque pit, they will stand over a grave. Instead of landscaping at home, they will remove the weeds and debris from around the tombstone that bears the name of an American hero who gave his or her life defending and protecting this great country. After they've cleaned up this hallowed ground, they will post an American flag as a solemn reminder of who lies there.



There will be no ceremony or guest speaker, and the eerie silence of that cemetery will only be broken by the faint sounds those crying or praying out loud. These mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, family members and friends are not there to celebrate, but to mourn, to honor, to remember, and to reflect on the life of their loved one who gave their all so that the rest of us could live in freedom, freedom that we so often take for granted.



That is what Memorial Day is all about. Remembering our heroes..



On this Memorial Day, let s take a moment to honor and pray for our heroes and their families who have sacrificed so much for all of us. Let s take a moment to thank a veteran for service to our country. Let s take the time to send a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project, the USO, Fisher House, or any organization that supports our veterans.



Most importantly, let us honor these fallen heroes by sowing the seeds of patriotism in our children, teaching them what Memorial Day really stands for and why it is so important to never forget the sacrifices others have made on our behalf. Let's teach them that freedom is never free, and that without the members of our armed forces, here and around the world, this country would not be what it is today.



https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/

http://www.uso.org/donatelanding.aspx

http://www.fisherhouse.org/donate/



On this Memorial Day, I also want to give special thanks to the men and women of the NYPD for their sacrifices on and after 9/11 and to the members of our Armed Forces, the FBI, CIA and local and state law enforcement for standing between good and evil and keeping this country safe from harm.



Godspeed and God Bless you all.



-BERNARD B. KERIK



Follow Mr. Kerik at: www.twitter.com/bernardkerik