Today is Memorial Day in the US.

Today, we remember our fallen, and those who served. Those who made our freedom possible. Today, we remember our Fathers and Mothers, brothers and sisters, who fought for, sacrificed for us, and gave their very lives for our place in a free society.

Thank god for them. May god bless and keep them. May we always remember who they were, and what they so valiantly fought for.

May we always honor their memories and sacrifices by doing whatever it takes to stay free ourselves.

Make no mistake, staying free is a tall order. To stay free, we must stay true to the ideals of freedom, to our patriots, to our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, who fought for our freedoms.

We must always resist tyranny in whatever form it takes, and commit ourselves always and completely to defending and speaking truth, no matter how inconvenient and uncomfortable it may be to us personally.

Today, I honor my father who trained combat pilots for service in war in WWII, and Korea, and Vietnam, and my mother who flew wounded out of Normandy and Korea, and who taught me to be grateful for my place in the world, to cherish my right to free speech, to look at the world as it is, and to appreciate and love others no matter what their creed or origin.

God, I am fortunate!

To my father James, and my mother Elaine, and to your mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, who served with them.

Respect, and honor.