Have we forgotten?
Published 12:00 am Monday, May 26, 2003
Have we forgotten?
That's the name of a wildly popular song by Daryl Worley that was released and rocketed to No. 1 on the country music charts a few months back - at the height of the war in Iraq.
Though the war appears to be over for the most part, and our troops are returning home, we must not forget that there are still men and women in Iraq - some still paying the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.
We must also never forget those who have gone before. Those who sacrificed so much just so we could continue to live in this great land that we do.
With that in mind, we couldn't help but notice there was no "Main Street" celebration. No solemn memorial service. No patriotic music.
In fact, if it weren't for the Andalusia Civitan club placing "Old Glory" at store fronts throughout the city, one could easily mistake Monday, May 26, 2003 as just another day in a small town.
Don't get us wrong. We love Andalusia and all of Covington County, but we are a little disappointed that there were no ceremonies planned to honor our heroes.
As the song goes, "Have you forgotten, how it felt that day? To see your homeland under fire?"
Have you?
We haven't. We remember what it felt like to wake up and see the one tower of the World Trade Center on fire, as another jet barreled into the second tower.
"Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?"
With all that has happened in the past two years, one would think, no expect that towns all across America would have planned solemn memorials and joyful celebrations in honor and memory of those who have gone before. With Covington County so closely affected by the recent war in Iraq, one would have expected a celebration or memorial service somewhere in the county.
Instead, we get nothing.
We live in a city that is priding itself on getting a Veteran's Memorial Parkway, a veteran's park, etc., but yet at the same time, there is no official sanctioned event that allows us to celebrate our past and those who worked so hard to ensure the future.
Have we forgotten that there is a reason to pause and remember why we have the day off - because of those soldiers who gave so much?
Has Memorial Day become a day that is just another day off work, another day to sleep in late, or even worse, just another day?
We can't help but wonder.
Yes, Memorial Day is the day that unofficially kicks-off summer. School's out. It's a long weekend. It's a time to gather with family and barbecue and do all of the things we so typically expect on a warm, lazy summer day.
But, at the same time, we should remember why we're able to do that.
We haven't forgotten, but have you?