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Memorial Day is personal for me and every other veteran who put on our nation’s uniform and served.
I served in the United States Army for more than a decade, and I very likely would still be serving if I didn’t lose both of my legs in combat. I’m one of the lucky ones.
For every one of us that made it home, there are countless others that did not. Many of those that didn’t make it home were my friends.
These were soldiers who signed up with no lofty notions of winning medals or having a movie made of their exploits. These were individuals who knew the risk associated with serving in the military. But those concerns weren’t as strong as their love for their country.
Their sacrifice inspires me every day. That’s why I wear three metal cuffs on my wrist engraved with the names of the friends I lost in combat. I carry their sacrifice with me every day, and I try to live in a way that honors their lives.
The American Dream isn't some abstract concept. It was bought and paid for by patriots who chose to stand between evil and the country they loved. We owe them a debt we can never fully repay, but we can honor them by refusing to take our liberty for granted.
This Memorial Day, as you spend time with your families and loved ones, I ask that you take a moment and think of all the men and women who signed up to serve their country and came back in flag-draped caskets.
Look at our flag, pause and remember the heroes who never made it back home to theirs.
We are only the land of the free because we are home to the brave.
Never forget. 🇺🇸
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