It’s not about pool parties

“But one thing that it’s always about — is how lucky we are to be Americans, to have the comfort of knowing that regardless of where our soldiers are or what we are doing, our families live secure, peaceful, and relatively safe lives. Free from the dangers and issues of everyday war, of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of driving down the road to take your children to school and getting hit by an Improvised Explosive Device, or having to watch a death squad kill someone’s family in the market square in retribution for a family member voting for the wrong party or flying the wrong flag. Of having a sniper fire at you as you try to get water from the only well that has safe drinking water.” — Col. Jordan S. Chroman (U.S. Army), on the meaning of Memorial Day, as compiled by Christine Faria, vice president for operations and communications at Raving Consulting.