Memorial Day: A Day of Leadership and Sacrifice

---by Rev. V. Jesse Smith

Today, we pause from our daily activities to pay homage, respect and appreciation to members of the Armed Services who demonstrated the greatest characteristic and aspect of leadership--sacrifice. These leaders sacrificed their lives in order that you and I can enjoy the freedoms we cherish today. The true essence and character of a leader is what he or she is willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others.

The word “sacrifice” means to give up something which belongs to you willing. Members of our military have exhibited over and over again that they are willing to give up their lives for the benefit of all Americans to live under their blanket of justice, freedom and equality in the United States.

Because of their commitment to America; their discipline in one of the four branches of our military; their faith and hope in God; their leadership in foreign and enemy lands; and their vision to see a world free of terrorism and dictatorship, we, in the United States, have the ability to enjoy the liberties we so often take for granted, and liberties for which so many men and women of the Armed Services died. Seldom do we realize that the joy and freedoms we embrace in America are the benefits which our military men and women fight to keep in place every day of the year.

So today, I write this short essay just to say to every military soldier, past and present, to every veteran, past and present, to every family member who suffered the loss of a loved one abroad or at home, thank you for your leadership and your sacrifice. Thank you for your sacrifice and willingness to die on the battlefields of our enemies in foreign and enemy lands; thank you for suffering an injury on a member of your body in defense of our freedom; thank you for the exemplary leadership you conveyed in bringing to justice one of the greatest enemy in the world today—Osama Bin Laden. Thank you for sacrificing your family to leave and go abroad to protect our freedom at home; thank you for being willing to go to countries who are in need of financial and physical aid on behalf of all of us in the United States; thank you for making America the most powerful nation in the world.

Because of who you are and what you do, you allow us to be all that we can be in one of the greatest nations ever to exist in the world—the United States of America.

Thank you men and women of the Armed Services for your leadership and sacrifice on this blessed, sacred and honorable Memorial Day.

Remember, “Experience shapes your leadership, until your leadership is developed to shape your experience.”