Never Forget....

Monday, December 7th - Pearl Harbor Day - I had the honor of attending a beautiful ceremony at the our State House. It was the Wreaths Across America Capitol State House Wreath Laying Ceremony. I was moved by the dedication the organizers have to make sure our Veterans are not forgotten.  There was a few brief introductions, the pledge of allegiance and few spoke reminding us the sacrifice made by others for our freedom. Paul Cline of Rolling Thunder (rolingthunder1.com) spoke poignantly of the soldiers and sailors that became POW's or MIA in all wars and military actions. Their life's work is to correct that and make sure no warrior is left behind or forgotten.

Rebecca Frank of Gold Star Mothers (goldstarmoms.com) spoke not of her loss but of a man that was a Pearl Harbor survivor, a man that helped save many lives as the bombs fell. She spoke of how at the end of his service he quietly went back to Medina County in Ohio and lived out his life without fanfare and without many even knowing his contribution to our country. It was a reminder of all the people that ensure our freedom and do so without asking for acknowledgement or accolades. It's easy to revere the actions of our warriors in the highly publicized missions, lest we forget the thousands of others that serve in ways we will never know. These quiet warriors do their time in the service, come home and quietly assimilate back into civilian life asking for nothing but what they earn.

On Saturday, December12, 2015 at Arlington Cemetery (www.arlingtoncemetery.mil) thousands of wreaths will be carefully laid upon the final resting place of the veterans. These wreaths are placed to carry out the mission of Wreaths Across America. In similar ceremonies at hundreds of cemeteries across the country, veterans graves will have a wreath laid upon them to fulfill the mission statement of Wreaths Across America. Please take some time this holiday season to honor our veterans and remember that freedom is not free.