As the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of its founding, on this Memorial Day, let’s remember and honor the men and women whose sacrifice made this country possible by finding ways to serve and give back.
Memorial Day gives us a chance to acknowledge the shared values that hold us together amid our different backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. It’s a time to express gratitude for what has been given so that we might have the freedoms we treasure. At its core, it’s a day that honors service. This Memorial Day, let’s renew our commitment to service, in whatever way we can, whether in uniform or out.
Service is the through line of this country, sustained by every kind of American. Every generation that has tended to this democracy has earnestly endeavored to leave this country better than when they inherited it. Today, we acknowledge this long tradition.
Americans have spent generations turning grief and struggle into purpose and converting sacrifice into effects that endure. This year, some families will observe Memorial Day for the first time without someone they love. The grief is new to them, but they are not alone. One way we can demonstrate this to them is by finding ways to serve, too.
The U.S. military has been an all-volunteer force since 1973. Every person we remember from that era forward made a choice, fully aware of the potential cost and the reward. That choice is what makes their service sacred, and it points toward something important for the rest of us. That we, too, can choose to serve in our own ways.
Civic engagement is how the living honor their choice in real time. This American experiment belongs to everyone, and it only works if everyone shows up.
For those looking for a meaningful place to begin, many veteran service organizations offer service opportunities that meet the entire veteran community where they are — survivors, veterans, active service members, military families and the youth.
The Travis Manion Foundation was built on the belief that character can be developed, that service is a practice, and that sacrifice is honored most powerfully through action. Consider signing up for an Honor Project near you.
For the families who are grieving the loss of a service member for the first time, there is a community of veterans, Gold Star families and survivors who have carried this weight before them and found a way forward. Their loss is our loss. And that’s one of the remarkable truths about our community: We know how to show up for one another.
Two additional organizations have built enduring pillars of support for the community to last beyond the sacrifice. Wear Blue: Run to Remember provides a peer-support community for survivors. Through remembrance, physical challenge and shared support, participants honor their fallen service members while building strength physically and emotionally.
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors casts a wide net, reaching all bereaved military families and serving as a trusted resource for the benefits and casework that survivors must navigate at a fragile time. For many families, both have a role to play.
Memorial Day has always been about honoring sacrifice. It’s also about continuation. As America marks 250 years, the work continues, and the country needs each of us in it. The next chapter belongs to us.
D’Juan Wilcher is the deputy director of Veterans and Military Families at the George W. Bush Institute. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
