American Legion Post 1015 Memorial Day Message 2017
I feel honored and privileged to be asked to speak at this event once again. I want to begin by saying thank you for taking the time to participate in this event. I want to honor our time together today because time is a precious commodity. It is something that is in limited supply, so it’s important we spend it well.
There are many things we can do with our time: we can invest our time in our children and I’m glad to see parents who have brought their kids here today so that they can learn about this important holiday. And kids, I’m glad you’ve invested your time in learning about the meaning of this day, even if your parents made you come. And it’s worth your time, because there’s cake and ice cream afterwards.
We have a limited amount of time on this earth, but we can’t call the bank or go online to check our balance. Only God knows how much is in our account. But He lets us manage how our time is spent. Those we are here to honor today spent the entire balance of their account on us. We are here to recognize the sacrifice made by the men and women in uniform who have bravely served our country and have given up everything so we can enjoy the freedoms that come from living in this great nation of ours.
We enjoy our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but it doesn’t happen automatically. People are constantly working around the globe to make it possible. Some of them are called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice, giving up their life in defense of our freedom. They are often nameless to us, but they shouldn’t be. Each one of them has made a valuable sacrifice for us.
Last summer brought the names of some of them to our community. The traveling Vietnam Memorial wall made a stop here in Mahomet. I hope you spent the time to visit that memorial and see the 58,272 names of those who lost their lives in service to our country in just one of the many wars that our nations has fought..
All total there are 1,354,664 U.S. soldiers who have paid the ultimate price to preserve our freedom and that number continues to grow. Each of them has paid for our freedom with their life.
Like 38 year old Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken, who on May 5th was killed during a mission targeting the Islamist militant group Al-Shabab, 40 miles west of the Somali capital of Mogadishu. He is the latest American soldier to die for his country. Milliken is survived by his wife, Erin, and their two children.
Kyle Milliken and the more than 1.3 million other U.S. soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice are real people who, like us, love their country and the freedoms it brings. But their love extends beyond just enjoying the freedoms of life in the United States. These brave men and women are willing to risk their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy. Jesus tells us that there is no greater love than this: That a man would lay down his life for his friend. These courageous men and women in the U.S. military have shown their love, not just to this country but to each one of us, because they have given their life for you and for me.
What is our response to the sacrifice that they have made for us? What can we give to those men and women who protect us each day and those who have paid the ultimate price? We can give them something that is precious. We can give them our time. We are doing that right now, but is one day to honor them enough considering the sacrifice that they have made and are making for us? I don’t believe it is. I believe that we should remember the sacrifices made for us daily by praying for our troops. We should remember and pray for the families of our troops, especially the families that have experienced the loss of a loved one, like the Milliken family. When we hear the news reports about our fallen soldiers, we can take a few moments and pray for their families.
We should also pray for peace, so that these brave men and women in uniform today can come home safely to their families. Can we take the time out of our busy day and spend a few moments of our time remembering those who have and are serving our country? I think we can, but the question is, will we? I would like to right now. Will you pray with me?
Almighty God, we are here today to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We pray for the families who are left behind. We pray especially for the Milliken family and the grief they are experiencing after losing Kyle. We pray for his parents, his brother, his wife, Erin and their two children. We also pray for the men and women who are actively serving around the globe. Lord, protect them and keep them safe. And Lord, we pray for peace. We pray for an end to hostilities so our soldiers can be safe. Lord we thank you for the freedoms we enjoy and know that true freedom comes only through you, by the sacrifice you made for all of us. In Jesus name, Amen.
Thank you, and God bless you.
-Brian Romanowski
