Remembering true meaning of Memorial Day

We just observed Memorial Day in Chase County and across the country. It was a busy, busy weekend in Imperial and Wauneta with several events memorializing those who served and never came home.
I was present for both the morning Memorial Day ceremony at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Imperial, as well as the afternoon dedication of the new Chase County Veterans Memorial set perfectly on the Chase County Courthouse lawn.
Rev. David Kahle delivered the address at Mt. Hope Cemetery, and his words are ones we need to remember about the true meaning    of Memorial Day. It’s celebrated on the last Monday of May every year, just after school is out here and the full summer is ahead of us.
However, Kahle rightly pointed out that Memorial Day should not be looked at as the start of summer vacation. It’s not just a 3-day weekend or time for some good deals at our favorite retailers—it’s a day set aside to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in preserving the freedoms we all take for granted in this country.
Kahle acknowledged there are forces among us who want to undo those freedoms here and throughout the world, and many who are unobservant are falling for the slick rhetoric being pitched at us from all directions. That’s why it’s important to remember on Memorial Day, to remember our history—good or bad—instead of trying to remove it. That’s being done when statues are torn down, or history is being rewritten in students’ textbooks. Remembering the mistakes of the past doesn’t mean those actions were supported—it reemphasizes to all of us, especially our youths, why those mistakes should not be repeated.
    We must remember our past and observe—for the right reasons—holidays such as Memorial Day. It will keep a very important part of our past—those who died in service to this country—alive in our memories.
On a local note, one way to keep those memories alive is by purchasing a memorial brick at the Chase County Veterans Memorial in Imperial. Anyone, especially servicemen and women, can be memorialized with a brick placed on the west wall at the site. I was happy to hear from all seven of my brothers and sisters last weekend, when I approached them about purchasing a brick together in memory of our dad, who was a forward observer with the U.S. Marines in WWII.   Forms are available at the newspaper.