Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Eagle Forum, on this Memorial Day, solemnly honors and remembers the lives of our fallen service members, and we express our deepest gratitude to them and condolences to their families. Please join us as we remember those who have given their last full measure in our service.
Why remember?
Unlike Veteran’s Day which is observed every November 11 and designated to honor all the living military personnel who have served, Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) is set apart to give Americans the opportunity to STOP, REMEMBER and HONOR everyone who has served in the military and died while serving.
When Memorial Day is Every Day
Memorial Day also affords Americans the opportunity to acknowledge and recognize the feelings held by the families of the servicemembers who are grieving the loss of their loved one. And, since our military makes up only less than .05 percent of our national population, many may not understand how emotionally complicated this holiday is. For this reason, we share one family’s story about what Memorial Day means for families of the lost.
What you CAN DO to Honor and Remember:
- Teach your children well about sacrifice, about service and about what this three-day weekend really means. Take them to visit a national cemetery, and/or join Eagle Forum in Washington, D.C. this September and while there, visit Arlington Cemetery – the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the solemn changing of the guard ceremony.
- STOP and Observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. Monday with a minute of silence, praying for the families such as the family whose story we shared above.
- Fly the Flag on your doorpost acknowledging and honoring the service, sacrifice and lives of America’s fallen.
- LIVE a life that honors their sacrifice.
- LOVE and SERVE military families through your church, community groups, workplaces, schools and beyond.
- Attend a Memorial Day Service honoring the fallen and their families.
- Appreciate the reverence and honor bestowed on the fallen - Taking Chance is a movie that chronicles one of the silent, virtually unseen journeys that takes place every day across the country, bearing witness to the fallen and all those who, literally and figuratively, carry them home. A uniquely non-political film about the war in Iraq, the film pays tribute to all of the men and women who have given their lives in military service as well as their families. Read more.
- Contribute to the charity of your choice supporting the families of fallen servicemembers. See MilitaryOneSource for ideas.
These are just a few things we CAN DO to honor our nation’s fallen heroes and their families this Memorial Day. You may have come up with others. We encourage you to join with Eagle Forum as we work to honor those who sacrificed by our work to preserve freedom for future generations.