Veterans Corner

Community Contributed

By Jesse Church

Aloha all my fellow veterans and residents of Molokai, old Jesse here with all the veterans news and upcoming events. Another Memorial Day will very soon be upon us. When the average American hears the words Memorial Day, they think, “oh great, a three-day weekend to camp or go to the beach or relax around the house.” The average American is apathetic to the meaning of Memorial Day, and their children see this and act accordingly.

If you ask a member or veteran of the U.S. military, you will get a totally different answer. “This is the day that we pay homage to the nation’s men and women who willingly gave their last full measure of devotion so we could live as free Americans and enjoy all the liberties of freedom.” If you look in Webster’s dictionary for their definition, it is “the last Monday in May that is a national holiday in the U.S. honoring members of the armed forces who died in wars.” Those who died came from all walks of life, from all neighborhoods and all 50 states, and they all loved their country and its people so much that they were willing to sacrifice their lives so we can be free Americans.

Please be sure that you always remember that freedom is never free, and free Americans that we are, our nation is prepared to never let those brave Americans be forgotten and their sacrifice not be in vain, so help us God. I also worry about our children and who will teach them the meaning of Memorial Day. The veterans of this great nation cannot do it alone, we need help from teachers and parents. They must be taught the true meaning of Memorial Day so they can properly celebrate the day and teach the children, as the cycle is repeated from one generation to the next.

So all teachers and parents, please join in with America’s veterans and let’s teach our children together the meaning and purpose of Memorial Day. Let’s stop thinking of the three-day weekend and start thinking about the men and women who made that three-day weekend possible for us all. On Memorial Day, all Americans have a moral obligation of remembrance to those brave Americans who willingly sacrificed their lives in one of our nation’s wars, because without remembrance, their sacrifice becomes meaningless and we cannot and will not allow that to happen.

If you need someone to teach your child, call old Jesse at 553-3323 and the veterans will find somebody to do it. I’m very serious about this, and if need be, I will teach the children myself. Can everybody living on Molokai tell me the name of just one soldier, sailor, airman or marine who sacrificed his or her life in one of our nation’s wars?

I hope that all of Molokai continues to support the troops that are stationed in harm’s way in the Middle East and prays for their safe return to the U.S. If you have any questions, suggestions or news, please call old Jesse at 553-3323. Please remember that old Jesse loves all you beautiful people that call Molokai home.