Happy Memorial Day everyone - and to any Veterans out there that might listen - Thank you for your service. I keep bringing this episode back for two reasons:
1) We need to remember the profound significance of this day. This is one day where any other self label (Dem, Rep - whatever) must be placed in the backseat so that we all just call ourselves Americans with a shared debt to those we sent off to war. Back in 2019 I was honored by being invited to accompany a cohort of the Badger Honor Flight organization as a media Representative. It was a transformational experience for me.
It's one thing to celebrate Memorial Day as a respectful citizen, but an emotionally and spiritually different thing to get a glimpse of what it really means, through the eyes and recollections of those that fought for our country and lost friends and comrades. These veterans are the first to tell you that THEY are not heroes. Their friends that paid the highest price for our freedoms are the REAL heroes. The stories I heard that day bear repeating over and over and over again. They make this holiday real. Not with pomp and circumstance and political posturing, but with the heart and soul of humanity. Their stories made me sad, made me laugh in some cases, but mostly made me appreciate the real people behind this holiday.
2) These are stories that need to heard and shared. It was and incredible honor to share in this day. I feel a responsibilty to continue to rebroadcast it as much as possible so that people hear and ponder the significance of these stories so that they can perhaps understand more about what it truely means to be a patriot. These are people that filmed scenes set in a war, these are the folks that were there, taking fire, and didn't run.
P.S. For the only time in my broadcasting career, I began the day feeling hoarse and by the end of the day completely lost my voice. At the time that seemed like a catastrophe, but as the day went on, I realized it just might be God's way of telling me "shut up and listen". I had no choice but to do so. Good choice.
P.P.S. At the end of this episode I tacked on a portion of Steven Curtis Chapman's song "We Remember". If you don't have a copy of it, GET ONE! It is by far one of the best songs ever written as an anthem of praise and thanks for our Veterans and all those who made sacrifices for our freedoms. Let's stop fighting with each other over who said what and who voted for whom and. . . just listen.
Thanks for listening. Please check out our website at www.forsauk.com to hear great conversations on topics that need to be talked about. In these times of intense polarization we all need to find time to expand our Frame of Reference.
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