Well if you would have told me last year at this time that I would be spending Memorial Day in Iraq I would have told you  you were crazy. Here I sit in the TMC on Sunday night and I am thinking of what I would be doing if I was home.

     Tomorrow, if I was home I would get up and get the kids ready for the parade. We always go you have to leave early because the whole town comes out for it and you can end up parking a mile away. We usually get a spot in the country club parking lot and stake a claim on the corner at the gas station early. The parade isn't anything spectacular but is usually at least an hour long or more. Full of school bands, kids organizations, sports and dance, lots of fire and police departments and of course VETS!! I love to get there and get the kids the small flags they hand out and watch them wave them. The bands are always good, and I always love watching the vets march by. The girls are usually funny because they are just excited for a parade, and thier cousin Brennen will run out and grab the candy that people throw for the girls. You see the fighter jets from Hancock field fly over and that is always cool. We will have my wife's Mom and Dad and sister over after for coffee and cake and sit on the deck if it is warm enough. Then later to her moms for a picnic. I really love Memorial Day and have always appreciated the meaning for it. Working at a VA you are constantly reminded of the sacrifices people have made for us in the past and now I am reminded on a DAILY basis that people are still making those same sacrifices.

     To me no matter what your feelings are on this war or this country or why we are here, the improtant thing is to support those that are here. These guys and girls are doing this mission every day and most of them do it out of duty and pride that it is the right thing to do. They watch thier friends get injured and some get killed but they drive on and run the next convoy or patrol without question. This is what Memorial Day is all about.