Take One Minute to Remember

Times-Standard - May 28, 2007

While families relish the Memorial Day weekend as a kickoff to summer -- a time for picnics, festivals and weekend getaways -- too many of us give short shrift to the holiday's true intent: honoring the 1.2 million men and women in uniform throughout the history of our nation who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy. In 2007, though, we can make this day special by heeding a request by the White House Commission on Remembrance to take a minute at 3 p.m. local time to remember them. It's the least we can do -- especially when young men and women continue to die halfway around the world. This page is not large enough to list the more than 3,800 service members who have died in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan since 2001 and in Operation Iraqi Freedom since 2003. But we can list the 394 Californians who have made the ultimate sacrifice, including one from Humboldt County, Marine Capt. Andrew LaMont. One minute of your day is not too much to ask.