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‘Happy Memorial Day’ Is Not An Oxymoron

By Rich Pezzullo

Rich Pezzullo

I was just lectured about wishing someone a “Happy Memorial Day”. “Isn’t that an oxymoron,” I was asked, “Right up there with “Jumbo Shrimp” and “Military Intelligence”?

This was as I joined my fellow patriots in stocking up with supplies for the grill and ice chest.  In addition to cheering at parades and participating in celebrations throughout the weekend, we do have responsibilities that extend beyond not showing up at the BBQ empty handed.

At Gettysburg, Lincoln summed up our responsibility pretty clearly.  He commissioned each of us, throughout the ages, to ensure “that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

In addition to remembering the honored dead, whose exploits facing people paid to kill them can only be glimpsed with the help of media in every form, movies, books, articles, photos and firsthand accounts, there are others we must remember, in a way that each of us can see and understand.

As we gather with our families to mark this weekend of memorial we will enjoy looking in the faces of those we love. We will share in their lives and let them share in ours. We will certainly enjoy the time with them.

As we do, this joy gives us an opportunity to share a relevant truth.  For every person who fell in defense of liberty, there were people just like us; who saw their loved one step on a plane, bus, boat or train; or who just saw them suddenly in harm’s way, and never saw them again.

As we honor the fallen, we also recognize and share the grief of those they left behind. Their pain lives for decades.  We must never allow it to be forgotten or ignored.  Remembering them and honoring their loss assures that as a nation we will live up to Lincoln’s timeless commission shared centuries ago.

There is no oxymoron in wishing for a “Happy” “Memorial” day. As we visit the cemeteries with our children, we can proudly teach them how to honor sacrifice and in the silence we can truly enjoy the peace and freedom they purchased for us.  We can honor the dead by celebrating the liberty they preserved for us. We can honor them by bringing comfort to the families left behind by them.

And we thank them by sharing joy with our loved ones and proving with God given and veteran protected liberty that the fallen did not die in vain.

So “Party On”!  Those who secured freedom for us would expect no less than we enjoy it.

Rich Pezzullo was the Republican nominee for Congress in New Jersey’s Sixth Congressional District in 2018.  

 

 

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Posted: May 24th, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Memorial Day, Opinion | Tags: , , , | 9 Comments »

9 Comments on “‘Happy Memorial Day’ Is Not An Oxymoron”

  1. This said at 11:01 pm on May 24th, 2019:

    was a fake conversation and you’re a terrible writer.

  2. @ This said at 12:35 pm on May 27th, 2019:

    Do you REALLY have to be a rear end on Memorial Day and about a story about Memorial Day?

    BTW, Rich is NOT a professional writer.

    Geeeze, people can be sick.

  3. Instead of said at 6:16 pm on May 27th, 2019:

    enjoying a nice bbq in this beautiful weather, at 12:35 p.m. you were here responding to a comment from three days ago. Do I need to say any more?

  4. @ Instead Of said at 8:28 am on May 29th, 2019:

    Gee, I happened to take a break from what I was doing and sit at the computer to catch up on things. You must think I have plenty of time to check every news source every day.

    So, you doubled down on being a rear end.

    Oh, BTW, I was at a BBQ the day before.

    “Talk to the hand”

  5. Spoken said at 11:31 am on May 29th, 2019:

    like a true pleb.

  6. @ Spoken said at 12:07 pm on May 29th, 2019:

    Whatever

  7. Days later, said at 9:28 am on May 30th, 2019:

    am trying to wrap around the thought that some can’t refrain from being personally critical/ mean to fellow bloggers, for expressing opinions in their own way. Why not just discuss the topic?? And by the way, anyone who puts their name on the line against Pallone in any given year, deserves a measure of basic respect and political gratitude: if you think that’s easy, go ahead and give it a whirl, next year..

  8. Maybe said at 12:34 pm on May 30th, 2019:

    you should bring this up to Administration, who you know, approves the comments. Trust me, there are ALOT they do not publish. However, if you are feeling bullied maybe you should bring it to Art’s attention. I’m sure the matter will be rectified.

  9. I’m not feeling bullied! said at 5:39 pm on May 30th, 2019:

    Just making a statement, and request to stay on topic.This is not hard to grasp. Of course, it is Art’s blog and Art’s decision alone, as to what goes up, or doesn’t!! My own opinion is, argue issues on blogs, you want to go personal, go to Twitter, FB, or wherever many people shoot their “nasty” wads… don’t know, not on them…