Editorial: A Memorial Day story

SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD. WMUR PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER ANDREW ANDREW VREES. FOR MANY, THIS COMING MONDAY MARKS THE UNOFFICIAL START OF SUMMER. GRILLS ARE FIRED UP, POOLS ARE OPENED, AND BACKYARDS ARE FILLED WITH FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. BUT MEMORIAL DAY IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. IT’S A DAY TO REMEMBER THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE OF THOSE WHO DIED FIGHTING FOR OUR COUNTRY IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, VIETNAM, KOREA, THE SECOND WORLD WAR, AND OTHER BATTLES THAT SHAPED OUR NATION AND GAVE US THE FREEDOMS THAT WE SOMETIMES TAKE FOR GRANTED. AS GENERATIONS AGE, MEMORIES OF THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE BEGIN TO FADE. SO BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE, WE WANT TO SHINE A LIGHT ON THOSE WHO WENT TO OR DIED IN WORLD WAR TWO. ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 16.5 MILLION MEN AND WOMEN SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMED FORCES DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. MORE THAN 12 MILLION OF THEM SERVED OVERSEAS. 400,000 OF THEM WERE KILLED IN ACTION. THE REMAINS OF MANY OF THOSE WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR TWO CAME HOME AS MANY AS 80,000 OTHERS HAVE NOT YET. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS STILL TRYING TO FIND AND IDENTIFY MISSING SERVICE MEMBERS FROM THE WORLD’S BATTLEFIELDS. I’M SEEING THEIR WORK FIRSTHAND. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE GOVERNMENT ASKED MY MOTHER AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS FOR DNA SAMPLES. HER UNCLE AND TEN OTHER CREW MEMBERS DIED WHEN THEIR B-24 LIBERATOR WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE SKIES OVER TOULON, FRANCE. THEY HAD JUST DROPPED A PAYLOAD ON THE NAZIS. U.S. TECH SERGEANT KENNETH J. MCKEEMAN WAS JUST 23 YEARS OLD. THERE WAS A FUNERAL, BUT NO BODY. 80 YEARS LATER, HE’S COMING HOME AND WILL BE BURIED WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS 103RD BIRTHDAY AS OF LAST SEPTEMBER, THERE WERE ALMOST 120,000 WORLD WAR TWO VETERANS STILL ALIVE. A NUMBER THAT SURPRISED US AT FIRST, BUT THEY WERE KIDS, MANY IN THEIR TEENS WHEN THEY ENLISTED. SO NOW THEY’RE IN THEIR 90S OR OLDER. THOSE HEROES DESERVE OUR ATTENTION AND OUR UNDYING GRATITUDE. THEY FOUGHT FASCISM. THEY DEFEATED THE NAZIS, AND THEY STOPPED THE EXTERMINATION OF EUROPEAN --, TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH A WORLD WAR TWO VETERAN TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH, WHY AND HOW IT AFFECTED THEM AND EVERYONE AROUND THEM CAN GIVE US INSIGHTS INTO THE STRENGTH, BRAVERY AND PATRIOTS ISM OF A GENERATION. SO WHEN YOU’RE AT A PICNIC, THE BEACH, OR A COOKOUT, REMEMBER TO CELEBRATE THE FREEDOMS THAT SO MANY DIED FIGHTING FOR. AND IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO STILL HAVE ONE OF THESE HEROES FROM ANY WAR IN YOUR LIFE, TREASURE THEM FOR THE GIFT THEY TRULY ARE. SEND YOUR COMMENTS T