MEMORIAL DAY – AT 11:24 A.M. ET:  We don't celebrate Memorial Day.  We observe it.  And I do believe, despite all the cynicism, that there are millions of Americans of all ages who do understand the meaning of this day.

I was particularly struck by comments of a Medal of Honor recipient, Ryan Pitts, invited to give the commencement address at the University of New Hampshire, his alma mater.  I was, first of all, surprised that a soldier would be asked to deliver a commencement address without a revolt by the faculty.  Maybe Pitts's alumnus status immunized him.  He spoke appropriate words: 

“Valor was everywhere that day,” he said Saturday, before drawing a moral for young people about to embark on their careers: “Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the ability to move forward in the face of it. There is beauty in this definition, because courage can exist in the decisions we make every day. Courage exists in the individual who accepts who they are and openly lives the life they want in the face of rejection. Courage exists in those who challenge their own perceptions in the face of accepting they are not infallible. Be courageous and appreciate courage in others who take action in the face of fear.”

He closed by saying: “The last thought I will leave you with is more a matter of character. Never forget those who helped you reach where you are.”

Then he named the men who died that morning, eight on Topside and one in the village of Wanat: “ Sergio Abad, Jonathan Ayers, Jason Bogar, Jonathan Brostrom, Israel Garcia, Jason Hovater, Matthew Phillips, Pruitt Rainey and Gunnar Zwilling. The advice here is simple: Appreciate the contributions of others and the impacts they make in your life. That’s it.”

COMMENT:  We still have great men and great women, and, if challenged again, they will rise to the challenge.  Even the age of Obama will not deter them.

May 25,  2015