What is Memorial Day?
On Memorial Day, we honor the sacrifices of fallen service members who put their lives on the line for our nation, for us and for future generations of fellow Americans. These men and women answered the call to serve and defend our country with courage, dedication and selflessness, knowing the risks were great but the cause was greater. This is also a day to recognize and appreciate the veterans who served alongside these courageous souls and offer comfort to the Gold Star Families and friends left behind.
Stories of the brave, acts big and small, sacrifice and service are what we remember today. Like the story of Vietnam War hero Jimmy G. Stewart, an Army staff sergeant from West Columbia, West Virginia – one of the 58,000 Americans who lost their lives in combat during the conflict. When five fellow Soldiers of his six-man squad were wounded near An Khe in May 1966, Stewart held his position to protect his men, crawling through heavy fire to retrieve ammunition from his comrades and tossing back enemy-thrown grenades. When reinforcements arrived, 23-year-old Stewart continued to fight and was eventually killed while holding his position. The wounded he gave his life to protect were recovered and evacuated. A year later, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. This year marks 50 years since the last combat troops left South Vietnam.
This Memorial Day, we remember Jimmy G. Stewart and the 645,000 other men and women lost in service to our country since World War I.
Topic: Memorial Day (Read 218 times)