WILKES-BARRE — On Memorial Day — and every day — we must never forget.
It’s not a cliche — it’s a mandatory way to forever honor all those brave men and women who gave their lives in the line of duty for their country — for us.
Every year on Memorial Day, I pause to think about all those fallen heroes and try to imagine what they were going through as they headed into battle.
They all knew the enemy was waiting to engage them in battle. They knew they would be killing enemy soldiers and that many of them would be killed.
Yet at places like Normandy, they bravely waited for the front gate to drop on the landing boat, and they bravely ran off through the ocean water, onto the sandy beach, up hills, and into battle. Or in humid jungles, or at sea, or in hot, sandy deserts, or frigid mountains.
So as we pause to remember them all, we think about the thousands of soldiers who gave their lives for us — for their (our) country — and we let it all sink in.
Now put yourself in their shoes for a few moments. Think about what it was like to get drafted, go off to war, and fight for your country. Think about those moments before engaging the enemy and what might happen.
These are the thoughts that never escape me.
Think about what it must have felt like to know that you may never return to your country, to your hometown, to your loved ones.
That you may never marry, have children, hold a job, buy a new car, or have a beer with your pals at the local bar.
Think that this day — this moment — might be your last day alive. That your next breath may be your last.
Think about what it was like to realize that you may give your life for your country and all Americans back home. And that you were proud to be there and to have the opportunity to help preserve freedom.
Millions served and returned home — wearing scars visible on the outside and invisible on the inside. I’ve known a lot of these men and women — they are all heroes. And they all hold our fallen heroes in their hearts and minds.
I knew one extremely well — my dad, William O’Boyle, who, like so many, went off to war, never questioning why, to defend our country against oppression and tyranny.
My dad was on one of those landing boats in Northern France. At the age of 21, he ran off the boat onto a beach and ran up a hill to meet the enemy. He stepped on a land mine and lost his right leg.
My dad came home and lived his entire life with honor. He got a job, got married, had a son, and contributed tirelessly to his community, never once ever asking, “Why me?”
But my dad knew his sacrifice, while significant, was not as great as so many others who never returned.
That’s why my dad took me to every Memorial Day service in Plymouth to honor our fallen heroes.
Last week, my friend, Joseph Barna of Freeland, who served with the U.S. Marines in Korea from 1952 to 1953, again took time this year to place American flags on the graves of fallen heroes at St. John Nepomucene Roman Catholic Cemetery in Freeland.
Mr. Barna, who is 96, has done this every year for decades. He genuinely cares, and he holds the highest respect for all veterans, especially those who died in service to our country.
And I remember my dear late friend Bobby Baird, who always participated in “Taps Across America” — the National Moment of Remembrance — that is held annually on Memorial Day. The event asks Americans — wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day — to pause for a duration of one minute to remember those who have died in military service to the United States.
So as we gather this weekend for celebrations in backyards, parks, and other venues, we should pause at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day and remember our fallen heroes.
That’s why on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. I would visit the home of Bobby Baird, and listen as he played “Taps” in tribute to America’s fallen heroes on his front porch.
The 136th West Side Memorial Day Parade will step off at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, beginning at Kingston Corners and traveling up Wyoming Avenue to the Forty Fort Cemetery.
Don Williams, whose family has marched in every one of the 136 West Side Memorial Day parades, will be there with family members to continue the tradition.
Don’s great-grandfather, Edward C. Williams, carried a Civil War fife for 70 consecutive years in the West Side Memorial Day Parade, and a member of the family has carried it every year since — including this year.
Expect to see a lot of American flags and a lot of red, white, and blue everywhere.
One more thing — display the flag, wear red, white, and blue, wear patriotism on your sleeve.
And thank all veterans always.
Never forget our fallen heroes.
God bless all veterans, and God bless America.