Serving The Community With The Ultimate Sacrifice

Welcome back to The Sunstone Way. 

What are you doing this coming three-day weekend? Camping? Going to the beach? A baseball game? Maybe a backyard barbecue? 

I hope you take a little time to do what the Memorial Day holiday was made for – memorializing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country. 

Military Service 

There are lots of ways to serve your – our – country. Government employees serve. Elected officials serve. Volunteers serve. 

But you know service is a key when the word is in the actual name. Military service is all about one thing – protecting our country. It’s about protecting us, and the freedoms that we cherish. 

I know that there are myriad jobs, myriad duties for the people in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and even the Space Force. But those jobs all lead to the ultimate goal of protecting the USA. 

Ultimate Sacrifice 

There are several days through the year to honor and celebrate the military. In addition to the birthday of each branch of the service, there’s Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day. 

We’ve been conditioned to say “Thank you for your service” when we see someone in a uniform as an acknowledgement of the individual’s sacrifice. Most of us mean it, too. I know I do. 

But Memorial Day is a special day. It is the day we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

There’s a saying from the Bible that goes like this: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Perhaps more impressive are those who lay down their lives for their country, or rather their countrymen and countrywomen. 

Some do so heroically and deliberately, in combat. Others die in the line of duty – standing watch, at a frontline base, clearing mines, etc. Their willingness to serve put them in harm’s way, and they are heroes too. 

Civil War Salve 

Memorial Day grew out of Decoration Day. In 1868, Union Army national commander General John Logan set aside May 30 as the day to put flowers on the graves of the Union Army who died during the Civil War. The tradition grew to include the Confederate states, eventually honoring all 600,000 who lost their lives in that war. 

Many more soldiers have lost their lives in the last 157 years protecting U.S. sovereignty all over the world. Monday is the day of all days to honor their memories. 

I would add that the families of those who didn’t come home are serving the community too, suffering through the pain of loss. If giving up your life is the ultimate sacrifice, giving up your son or daughter, your husband or wife, is a close second. There will be more than a few tears on Memorial Day. 

You Can Serve 

Not everyone can serve in the military. Not everyone can put their life on the line for their fellows. 

But everyone can serve. And it is important to the success of our neighbors, our communities, that we do. 

Service on behalf of others is at the core of what makes a community. When we help each other succeed, we are creating a bond. When we help build an environment where people can thrive, we are serving the community. 

It doesn’t take a lot to fulfill that goal. Volunteer for a charity, mentor a student, coach a Little League team. At Sunstone, we look to find ways to support entrepreneurs, help governments fulfill needs – make our world a little bit better. 

This Memorial Day, take time to remember and thank those who died for your freedom. Then find a way to serve. That’s the Sunstone Way. 

And remember, always be a Sunstone!