Memorial Day feels different to me now than it did when I was a child. Back then, it was a fun day off from school, filled with family gatherings, cookouts, and joy.
While there is still excitement in the air, it is now mixed with a sense of melancholy as I reflect on my childhood friend, SPC Carter Alvin Gamble Jr. (CJ), a neighbor who was eager to join the Army.
In 2007, while I was away in college, CJ was on his second tour in Iraq. He did not return to his family alive. CJ made the ultimate sacrifice. His children have grown up without their dad, and his wife became a widow. His father is left without his oldest son. A good man is no longer living as part of the community.
So, while we celebrate, let’s take time to remember the real people who gave their lives, leaving families without them at the dinner table today.
Wars are not won on their own, and freedom is not free. There are real individuals like CJ who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy. The USA is the greatest country on earth because of people like CJ.
Today, we honor the bravery of millions who made the ultimate sacrifice and express our gratitude for their heroic contributions. We acknowledge the families who have lost daughters, sons, wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, or grandfathers.
Their friends and families deeply loved the fallen.
We also appreciate those who serve to ensure that we continue to enjoy the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Dr. Antipas
