Memorial Day in the DMV: Remembrance First

Today starts with remembrance.

We remember the men and women who never made it home. Not in the abstract. Not as a slogan. As sons, daughters, husbands, wives, friends, and neighbors whose lives were cut short in service to this country.

Here in the DMV, that memory feels close. This morning, the presidential wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier takes place at 11 AM in Arlington. That is local ground. Sacred ground.

Memorial Day is not about the age of the country. It is about the cost of keeping it.

This year marks 250 years since America’s founding. That matters. But Memorial Day is not really about the age of the country. It is about the cost of keeping it.

A lot of people will gather with family today. A lot of people will enjoy the long weekend. That is part of American life too. But before any of that, this day should begin with a pause.

Remember the fallen. Say their names if you know them. Hold space for the ones you do not.

Thank you to our Gold Star families. And thank you to the fallen.