I recall when I was growing up that there was something extra special about Memorial Day.  While I wasn’t exactly certain why it was special, I would observe my dad, a United States Air Force Veteran, placing his American Flag outside our home at the start of this weekend.  I knew from simply observing, it was a day to be revered.  I grew up listening to his stories. I never tired hearing about the country”boy” that joined the armed forces at age seventeen. He did indeed see the world.  New York, France, Germany. He returned home a responsible, determined, and respectful young man.

Fast forward many years.  I married the love of my life.  I also married a man whose father was retired military, and whose big brother was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force.  The respect and the patriotism I’d grown up with, lived in this household…