Can I vent a little here?

I hurt a little every Memorial Day. My brother was killed in Vietnam in '69. It's been 41 Memorial Days since I last saw him alive. And for 41 Memorial Days I have wondered why we keep trying to turn this day of remembering the DEAD into another Veteran's Day or a day to honor those who are alive and serving. Memorial Day is a day for remembering the fallen . . . the dead.

I certainly do thank our soldiers who are giving their time, their limbs, and their mental health to protect our freedoms . . . don't get me wrong. I have to add, though, that my pain is made a little more intense by the fact that those serving during the Vietnam War were not regularly applauded and called heroes . . . in fact it was quite the opposite for many who suffered being spit on and derided. What a change we see today . . . .

I don't mind that the day is known for picnics and boating and baseball games at the park. If you want to spend it honoring veterans and current service members, so be it. But don't forget what the day is about . . . the DEAD.

In my case, one among over 85 thousand dead . . .