JOHN,
Memorial Day is deeply personal for me as it’s an opportunity to remember and honor my Uncle Roy, a man who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.
Uncle Roy didn’t have to go to war—he was a college graduate with his whole life ahead of him. But my mama’s brother, the oldest of seven kids, felt a profound duty that inspired him to enlist in the Army.
He served during World War II and fell in Normandy just two weeks after the D-Day invasion, never having the chance to get married or start a family of his own. Instead, he gave his life for the freedoms we cherish in America—freedoms that most people around the world can only imagine.
Growing up, I always noticed a tear in my mama’s eye whenever she heard the national anthem, and I know she was thinking of her big brother and the countless others who willingly laid down their lives for our country.
May their memories inspire us to show gratitude for those who made America what it is today and to protect the values they fought for.
Sincerely,
Tim Burchett
