On May 30th, 1868 Memorial Day was officially established as a way to remember and pay homage to fallen Union soldiers. It was originally called Decoration Day.
It was expanded after World War I to recognize and pay tribute to all fallen soldiers.
Flags are flown at half staff, graves are adorned with flowers, and war stories are retold passed down from generation to generation.
Today, Memorial Day is recognized on the last Monday of May.
Many people feel that giving it this date so that Americans can have a three day holiday has greatly diminished the true reason the holiday was established.
I agree.
How many of us remember a fallen soldier from the news? Unless your family has been impacted, do we truly care to remember their stories or names?
Maybe I was like that too. Until I read about Spc. Justin Allan Rollins and befriended his mom, Rhonda via myspace two years ago.
Like Rhonda, I too have two sons named Jonathan and Justin. Unlike Rhonda, I have never had to fear for my child's life in a far away country, or worse to lose my child to war.
My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family of Spc. Justin Rollins.
To read the entire saga of his last day, please click here.
Spc. Justin Rollins died on March 5, 2007 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat operations in Iraq.
His men were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Just one day prior to his death, Justin and his fellow soldiers had rescued a litter of stray puppies.
It amazed me how one can go from petting and loving on a stray puppy, to less than 24 hours later be killed in the middle of a war torn desert. But this is what war is.
It also amazed me that Justin CHOSE to go to war. He could have taken a recruiters desk job and still serve his country proudly but he would not leave his men. He did not want to send them into war without him. He was a proud soldier.
Is that true selflessness or what?
What made Justin's story even more remarkable was that his family made sure to bring home the puppy that Justin rescued.
They named the puppy, Hero.
Justin's fiancee, Brittney with Hero.
The Rollins family has been in my thoughts for the last two years. Justin's story is one that needs to be retold for generations to come.Only in this country, the United States of America, do true heroes like Justin exist.
Justin left behind to mourn him his mother Rhonda, his father Skip, brother Jonathan and fiancee, Brittney.
An entire town has lost one of its own, an entire country has lost a hero.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.~John 15:13
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