By Staff
Many of us will spend the Memorial Day holiday shopping at sales or firing up the barbecue or just lounging around a pool or lake.
As on all holidays, those are perfectly acceptable, all-American activities.
But before we begin celebrating, we should all pause to remember what Memorial Day truly stands for.
Once called Decoration Day for the practice of decorating veterans' graves, Memorial Day should be a day to honor those who gave what Abraham Lincoln called the &#8220last full measure of devotion.” It has somehow grown into a day that marks the beginning of summer, a day for stores to hold sales on barbecue grills and beach towels.
We should take time to remember those men and women who have helped preserve freedom through their service and sacrifice.
Monday morning, veterans groups in Escambia County will hold a Memorial Day service in front of the Escambia County Courthouse. The event begins at 9 a.m. at the war memorial on the courthouse lawn.
We hope those Brewton residents who are able will join the veterans to honor those men and women who gave the &#8220last full measure of devotion” to their country.
Here in Brewton in the last few years, we have already seen at least three people lose their lives because of the war on terror. Their names have been added to a long list of men and women who lost their lives in previous wars as they fought to protect our freedom. We owe it to all of them to take time to honor their memory on Monday - and every day.