Commitment and Sacrifice: Memorial Day 2023
Monday is Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor the men and women who died while defending our freedoms in the Armed Forces. More than 1.2 million U.S. military personnel have died in service to our country—from the Revolutionary War through the conflicts of the 21st century.
I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on some of numbers of service members who have been classified as casualties, that is deceased, wounded, ill or injured by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. These numbers are not just statistics, for they represent sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins and friends, classmates and co-workers, neighbors and community members.
- Civil War – more than 620,000
- World War II – 405,399
- Korea – 54,246
- Vietnam – 58,220
- Persian Gulf – 1,565
- Operation Iraqi Freedom – 4,418
- Operation Enduring Freedom – 2,349
- Operations New Dawn, Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel – 288
Each of these individuals represented by those numbers are far from being one-dimensional heroes – they were people of depth and complexity – their characters shaped by the times in which they served, their unique experiences and their personal values. However, their selflessness, their discipline, their resilience and their courage humble us as we reflect on their sacrifice.
Memorial Day is a day of solemn tribute and a celebration of the values they lived and died for. It is an anchor for the values and ideals we strive for as individuals and as a nation. It is a challenge to embrace the opportunity we have been given to uphold and live out those values in our everyday lives.
When we take that opportunity – when we honor their memory and their sacrifice, not just through our words but also through our actions – we often realize that we are reflecting the same values that are important to us today. Our Adventist HealthCare Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship can help us mirror the best of their character and courage as well as affirm the commitments they died keeping.
On this Memorial Day, let us honor them by both remembering and responding with purpose to the example they set. Any freedom and prosperity in our future is rooted in their legacy. Their commitment and sacrifice light our common pathway.
