With the Memorial Day weekend nearly behind us, I would feel remiss if I did not take a few moments to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of liberty. Regardless of our personal feelings and political views, we can all remember and reflect on the lives of these men and women.
Having assumed the role of family historian, I am aware of how fortunate I am not to have witnessed firsthand the hardships, horrors, and rigors of combat. The grief and anguish dealt by fate’s cruel hand can reverberate through the generations.
Growing up in Omaha, I visited numerous time Memorial Park and its classically inspired World WarII monument to see the names of two family members. Though I never met them, I feel a strong connection to Carl Hubert Flodman and Louis Bryg. The former was my paternal grandmother’s older brother who died in the Pacific theater, the latter was my maternal grandmother’s brother who died in the European theater.
Perhaps it’s because of the family stories that were told. My paternal grandfather recounted the story many times of sitting on his father-in-law’s front porch with my grandmother when the Western Union delivered the telegram from the War Department. The emotion of that moment was seared into my memories the time he and I watched the scene in Saving Private Ryan when the telegram is delivered.
At that moment, my grandfather’s memories mixed with powerful storytelling to connect me to the profound loss felt that day in 1944.
Because of human nature, war remains a part of our world. As long as the memories of those fallen remain in our hearts and minds, Memorial Day will remain a time to reflect and turn our grief into gratitude for those we’ve lost.