Today is Memorial Day, and not be confused with Veterans Day.

What Is the Difference Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day? | HISTORY

Earlier this week, I donated to the Veterans of Foreign Wars as they stood outside the local hardware stores, giving out poppies to symbolize the lives lost in service.

Ironically, many looked the other way so as not to be bothered.

Being a Combat Veteran, I have earned the right to wear a combat patch on my right shoulder.

I remember vividly during Desert Shield/Storm the casualty reports that came in each morning during the morning updates from the Battle Update Briefs or BUB.

Until you have lived with incoming Scud Attacks or loud warnings waking you up in the middle of the night, sometimes three or four times a week, you learn to take each day one at a time.

There are no weekends to enjoy, and every day is a Monday with no weekends off.

As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to an end, I often wonder how many Veterans have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How Common is PTSD in Veterans? – PTSD: National Center for PTSD (va.gov)

“PTSD is slightly more common among Veterans than civilians. At some point in their life, 7 out of every 100 Veterans (or 7%) will have PTSD. In the general population, 6 out of every 100 adults (or 6%) will have PTSD in their lifetime. PTSD is also more common among female Veterans (13 out of 100, or 13%) versus male Veterans (6 out of 100, or 6%). We are learning more about transgender Veterans and those who do not identify as male or female (non-binary).”

The number of Veterans with PTSD varies by service era.

As I reflect on my era in the Persian Gulf, I find the numbers interesting.

Persian Gulf War (Desert Storm) statistics show 14 out of 100 (14%) with PTSD in the Past Year, and PTSD at Some Point in Life the numbers are 21 out of 100 (21%)

Therefore, for some, there is nothing to say Happy when you know the amount of people affected by combat and the loss of comrades.

Each year, I’m honored to have a fellow Sergeant Major who lives in the Washington D.C./Virginia area pay respect for me at Arlington National Cemetery. I’ve visited his grave site, and when I see the picture of his grave marker, I’m aware of his visits. He’s buried there in Arlington since his death on active duty as of March 2010.

When I think of Memorial Day, I think of the time I spent in war-torn areas such as Sarajevo, the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with required two-person vehicles with a complete basic load of ammunition and escort.

I think of the situations after December 1989, the aftermath of the United States invasion of Panama, and being deployed to Honduras on humanitarian missions. There, despite the six-hour distance between the capital of Honduras and Nicaragua, travel was still a challenge.

In Honduras, we had to build our airfield to fly back home.

When I think of Memorial Day, I think of the many friends who served in combat that don’t sleep well at night, and the slightest noise is a cause for high alert.

Therefore, as you sleep comfortably at night, someone is paying a high cost for your safety in the United States.

On ceremonial occasions, the United States Army flag is accompanied by nearly two hundred campaign streamers, each marking a different moment of the nation’s military history.

So Gallantly Streaming | American Battlefield Trust (battlefields.org)

It’s those campaign streamers that I can reflect on during my time in the military.

In fact, several of my siblings (4) have served in both the Army and Airforce and I honor them today as well for those comrades they lost during their time in service.

Today, as each of us see, those who have served, what you don’t see is the sacrifices they made for your freedom and the deaths they mourned for their comrades in arms.

Finally, I’m reminded of the symbols of Dog Tags. It’s a symbol that is “an informal but common term for a specific type of identification tag worn by military personnel.”

I’ve been on too many deployments, when we were not allowed to depart the United States without our identification tags in case we were a casualty, God forbid.

I’m honored to have my father’s fingerprints lifted and placed on a Dog Tag with his date of birth and date of death in my home office.

Agent Orange was a contributing factor to his death.

My father was a veteran of three wars, serving his country from 1945-1975 with 30 years of Military Service.   He served three combat tours in Vietnam, receiving the Bronze Star (1 OLC); Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC); Good Conduct Medal (7th Award); World War II Victory Medal; Army Occupation Medal (Germany); Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and the National Defense Service Medal.

VA Extends “Agent Orange” Benefits to More Veterans – VA News

Today, there are very few World War II veterans still alive.

Each of us has various reminders of what Memorial Day brings each year, especially for those who are forgotten. It’s never been about BBQ or Grilling.

It’s about those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

As Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, let us remember those who made that ultimate sacrifice for you and me.

On this Memorial Day, we unite to honor the courageous men and women who sacrificed their lives for our nation’s freedom. Today, let us reflect on the true cost of our freedoms and liberties for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“No one has greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends.” ~ John 15:13 Darby Translation.