While you’re all enjoying a long weekend, True Believers, please do take a moment to remember why this is a national holiday.

I suspect this young lady will never forget. Our hearts go out to her; but never forget the young man she mourns, nor the thousands like him.  This is a day to remember heroes.  Take a moment, and do so.

On this day I always remember, among others, Sergeant Francisco Martinez, a fine man, a good NCO, and the only man I ever lost while I was wearing Uncle Sam’s green.  Frank was a good man, a devoted father, a patriot; he didn’t fall in battle but rather to a heart attack while our unit was preparing to deploy to Iraq.  But I still had to inventory his personal effects; I still had to write to his daughter, to tell her what a fine man her father had been.

SGT Martinez was a good man and a good soldier.  This is his day, and the day of all his brothers and sisters that have fallen in service to our country.

Remember them.  Remember.