Memorial Day: A time to remember and give thanks

Today is Thanksgiving and Independence Day combined. On Memorial Day we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, so you and I can live our lives and raise our families under the banner of freedom in the greatest country in the world.

When your at the family picnic, neighbors barbecue or whatever activity you choose to attend on this important day, take a moment and say a prayer for those who gave their lives so you can enjoy today and everyday with your family and friends. Pray for the safety and strength for those defending our freedom and their families who have to endure the hardship and heartache of their loved ones putting their lives on the line during this dangerous and crucial time in our nations history.

Paulies Personal Memorial Day Moment

Thank you Chris Morgaret who has been serving in Iraq for about 18 months. Chris will be returning home next month. Thank you Arlene Walsh who has recently been sent to Fort Dix and soon will be deployed abroad. Thank you Diane Grassi who served as an MP during the Iraq war and has returned home. Thank you Dr. Brett Schlifka who served in Iraq and saved the life of ABC News anchorman Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt. Thank you Omar Sotelo who served during Desert Storm and now resides with his wife and two children in Indiana.

A special thanks to my great uncles and cousins who served during World War II. Dr. Irving Slot. Two time purple heart winner Max Kolpas and his brother Lou. Dr. Norman Moses. My great Uncle Sidney Miller who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Sid also located twin cousins of mine who survived the Nazi concentration camps. All of these brave men came home to their loved ones to raise their families. These men are part of the greatest generation, we honor them and remember their friends and countrymen who didn't return home.

A special thanks on this special day to my father Perry Miller. My dad was in the Army right before Vietnam. During the war he was an active and inactive reservist who could of been called up at any moment. That time never came.

58,000 men and woman gave their lives during Vietnam. Some Americans ran off to Canada to avoid the draft and others took prescription drugs to raise their blood pressure or cause other harm that would show up on a military medical exam to avoid service. I won't judge those people. What I will say is, many of these draft dodgers talk about the lengths they went to avoid serving and do so with pride. What they should do is remember those who served and keep their questionable past to themselves.

God Bless our fallen heroes and those who have served and continue to do so in the name of freedom and the United States of America.

Paulie