05/22/2003
Memorial Day has never just been about remembering the dead. In issuing the first Memorial Day order on May 5, 1868, Civil War General John Logan called on the nation to decorate the graves of soldiers and sailors who died in defense of their country — but also to remember their surviving families:
"Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation’s gratitude, the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan."
Across the country, Americans have united to help the spouses and children of those who sacrificed their limbs and lives for the ongoing war on terror. Here are just three worthy causes to keep in mind after this weekend’s parades and holiday barbeques are over:
Contributions to the Hannity Scholarship Fund and/or Freedom Alliance can be sent to Freedom Alliance, 22570 Markey Court, Suite 240, Dulles, Virginia 20166; online by clicking here; or by calling 800-329-5454. For more information on obtaining tickets to the July 11 Freedom Concert, call 732-928-1821.
Donors who give $30 or more will receive a special Fisher House coin commemorating the dedication of the group’s second house in support of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Landstuhl is the military’s only major medical center in Europe and provides critical support for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The inaugural fundraiser for the group was held on March 4, 2003 — the one-year anniversary of Operation Anaconda, one of the bloodiest battles in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of several members of the Special Forces, including Navy SEAL Neil Roberts. "This one was really personal," Rocha told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Neil was a SEAL’s SEAL…I wanted to do more than send flowers after this guy died."
Donations can be sent to United Warrior Survivor Foundation, Operation: Frog Friends, P.O. Box 181097, Coronado, CA, 92118-1097
Memorial Day poppies are hardy perennials. So, too, should our charity and gratitude be toward the "sacred charges" left behind by our fallen protectors in uniform. God bless them all.
Michelle Malkin is author of Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores. Click here for Peter Brimelow’s review. Click here for Michelle Malkin’s website.
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