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Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Remembering the cost of freedom
Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment place flags at the headstones of U.S. military personnel buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in preparation for Memorial Day on May 22, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by) On September 11, 2001, I was 29 years old, deployed to Kuwait as an Army Aviator in the Indiana National Guard. I was flying a mission in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over northern Kuwait near the Iraq border when I learned that terrorists had attacked our homeland. I remember the flood of emotions that hit me — shock, sorrow, anger, and an overwhelming sense of resolve. In that moment, the mission became personal. The idea of service, which had always been central to my life, was no longer just about duty — it became about defending the people I loved, the nation I swore to protect, and the ideals that define us as Americans. As a soldier and an American, I am humbled by the memory of those we honor on Memorial Day. From the beaches of Normandy to the jungles of Vietnam, from the fields of Gettysburg to the deserts of Iraq, generations of selfless men and women have laid down their lives so that we may enjoy the blessings of freedom, security, and peace. Every headstone at Arlington National Cemetery, every name etched on a memorial wall, tells the unique sacrifice of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine who gave everything in the service of something greater than themselves, and we will never forget them. The origins of Memorial Day trace back to the Civil War, a conflict so brutal it claimed more American lives than any war in our history. After the devastation brought about by that war, America committed to the idea of remembering and honoring our fallen. That brought about many of today's memorials, including the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in downtown Indianapolis. Over the nearly 250 years of our nation, what remains constant is the character of those who wear the uniform: courage, sacrifice, and a love of country that transcends self-interest. Whenever I am in Washington D.C., I find time to stop by the Lincoln Memorial and take a moment to reflect by reading the Gettysburg Address etched in the memorial wall. I always walk away humbled and with a renewed sense of purpose because of the words President Lincoln spoke that day. 'The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.' As we approach this long weekend and the unofficial start of summer, let us remember the true meaning of Memorial Day — to honor the cost of freedom and remember those who paid it for us. This weekend is for the people who never made it home, whose lives were cut short in the pursuit of liberty. To my fellow service members, past and present, I say thank you. To the Gold Star families, know that your loved ones will never be forgotten — their sacrifice lives on in the heart of this nation. And to all Americans: may we honor the fallen not just today, but every day, through our commitment to the values they fought and died to protect. Honoring their names means more than offering gratitude. It means carrying forward the ideals they believed in — freedom, justice, and unity — and understanding that the fight to preserve them is never over. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Newsweek
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
For Many Touched by War, a Harsh Homecoming
For schoolchildren, Homer's Odyssey is a vivid tale of storms, shipwrecks and sea monsters, but for those who have actually seen war it remains the classic tale of a homecoming gone wrong. For 10 long years Odysseus and his crew struggled to get back to the Greek island of Ithaca. It was the "longed for day of return" that kept them rowing in the face of Sirens and Cyclopes. Yet Odysseus's homecoming is no joyful event. On the island where he had once been king, no one recognizes him. People and places have changed. Friends and family have drifted away. Homer's hero is not alone in his experience. Whether they have served in the military, intelligence community or diplomatic service, many of our own veterans of foreign wars have faced similar disappointment. Eric Teo Lopez, 16, of the Fitchburg ROTC program works to replace damaged flags as he stands in a field of some 37,000 of them as part of a Memorial Day Flag Garden by the... Eric Teo Lopez, 16, of the Fitchburg ROTC program works to replace damaged flags as he stands in a field of some 37,000 of them as part of a Memorial Day Flag Garden by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Boston Common on May 25, 2024. More JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images In a reunion fraught with tension and doubt, even his own wife fails to recognize the wily Odysseus. Penelope addresses him as "stranger" and asks, "Who are your parents?" Only when he describes how he had built their marriage bed does she realize that her husband has returned. This strained process of rebuilding trust and intimacy with one's spouse after years of separation is often as painstaking for today's veterans as it was 3,000 years ago. Odysseus's son Telemachus has grown up without a father. Seeking to escape the pain of his father's absence as well as his mother's anxiety over her husband's uncertain fate, the young man turns to drugs at Helen's hands. How many of our modern veterans or their children have done the same? While Telemachus did not become addicted, many seeking solace from the pain and anger of separation have not been so fortunate. Above all, Odysseus caries the burden of memory. He recalls all too well the blood and chaos of war, the deaths of both comrades and enemies. Watching the men who trusted him to lead them home devoured by monsters or crushed by clashing rocks was not a fairytale, but a nightmare. When a court poet recounts the glories of battle, the old warrior breaks down in tears of remembrance. In Odysseus we see a reflection of every veteran who returns home with post-traumatic stress disorder. Returning to civilian life is inevitably difficult after years of constant fear, sanctioned violence, and anger at the callousness of fate. Some never adjust. As Odysseus tells Penelope, for some war becomes home. His own effort to expunge years of pent-up rage results in the massacre of the suitors who have been pursuing his wife. Modern veterans have no such outlet and are left only with their doubts, anger, and restless nights. Homer's Odyssey portrays the human cost of war. It reminds us of our obligation to care for and honor those who placed their lives in harm's way on our behalf. Each veteran is our own Odysseus. On this Memorial Day, it is fitting to remember those who did not return but save a thought for those who survived and yet never found the longed-for homecoming. David H. Rundell is a former chief of mission at the American Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the author of Vision or Mirage, Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads. Ambassador Michael Gfoeller is a former political advisor to the U.S. Central Command and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Both served in war zones and are fellows of the Benjamin Franklin Fellowship. The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
2025 Memorial Day events in Connecticut
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – Observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day is a solemn day of remembrance and mourning for the U.S. military members who have died while serving our country. Here is a list of some parades and events across Connecticut. Newtown Memorial Day Observance Time: 5 p.m. Location/Route: Soldiers and Sailors Monument Redding Memorial Day Parade & Picnic Time: Ceremony at noon; step-off at 12:15 p.m. Location/Route: The parade starts at Redding Elementary School and proceeds to Redding Green for flag-raising and flower-placing ceremonies at the Memorial Stone. A picnic is held at the Boys & Girls Club of Redding-Easton from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. More info Wethersfield Memorial Day Parade Time: 9 a.m. Location/Route: The parade will head west on State Street to Nott Street, then to Garden Street, cross over Church Street and turn left onto Main Street. The Reviewing Stand will be at the intersection of Main Street and Church Street. The parade will end at Hartford Avenue. The Memorial Day Parade Ceremony will occur at the Main Street and Marsh Street intersection on the grass in front of First Church of Christ. More info Woodbury Memorial Day Parade Time: 10 a.m. Location/Route: Woodbury Middle School; down Main Street to Cannon Green More info Milford Memorial Day Ceremony & Parade Time: Ceremony – 9:45 a.m.; Parade – 2 p.m. Location: Ceremony – Milford City Hall, 110 River St.; Parade assembles at the Daniel Wasson Field parking lot, 70 West River St. More info New Haven Memorial Day Ceremonies Time: 1 p.m. – ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park; 3 p.m. – ceremony at World War Memorial Flagpole on the New Haven Green More info Orange Memorial Day Parade Time: 10:30 a.m. Location: High Plains Community Center Fairgrounds More info Seymour Memorial Day Parade Time: 11 a.m Location: The parade steps off from French Memorial Park, proceeds along Route 67 southwest, turns south onto Main Street, then onto Broad Street, and concludes at the Seymour Community Center. More info Avon VFW Memorial Day Parade Time: 11 a.m. Location/Route: Steps off at the Board of Education Annex, located at 34 Simsbury Road More info Branford Memorial Day Parade Time: 10 a.m. Location/Route: Steps off at the Branford Town Green More info Canton Memorial Day Parade Time: 10 a.m. Location/Route: Canton Intermediate School parking lot More info East Lyme Memorial Day Parade Time: 2 p.m. Location/Route: It begins near St. John's Green (across from the Children's Museum of Southeastern CT) and proceeds down Niantic's Main St., ending at the East Lyme Town Hall. More info Fairfield Memorial Day Parade Time: 10 a.m. Location: The parade will march East from South Pine Creek Road along the Post Road to the Library, then South along Old Post Road to Flint's Corner, and then East along Old Post Road, passing the Town Green and continuing beyond South Benson Road. More info Farmington Memorial Day Parade Time: 10 a.m. Location/Route: Steps off at 10 a.m. on New Britain Avenue and South Main Street and goes through the Unionville section, ending at the Alice Clover Pinney Memorial Park. More info Hamden Memorial Day Parade Time: 11 a.m. Location/Route: Steps off at the Hamden Middle School Veterans Memorial Auditorium More info Heroes of Steel Car Show in Middlefield Time: Car show is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; flag ceremony is at 2 p.m. Location: Lyman Orchards in Middlefield More info New Milford Memorial Day Parades Time: Gaylordsville Parade begins at 8 a.m. | New Milford Downtown Parade starts at 10 a.m. More info Norwalk Memorial Day Parade Time: 10 a.m. Location/Route: The parade begins at Veterans Park and ends at the Town Green on East Avenue. More info Norwich Memorial Day Parade & Commemorative Ceremony Time: Noon Location: The parade steps off in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral and continues down Broadway to the Monument area of Chelsea Parade. The ceremony will immediately follow at approximately 1 p.m. at Chelsea Parade. More info Old Saybrook Memorial Day Parade Time: 10 a.m. Location/Route: The parade steps off from Elm Street, goes straight across Route 1 to Main Street, then the Veterans Memorial Monuments on the Town Green, where a memorial program will be held. More info Plymouth Memorial Day Time: 10:30 a.m. Location/Route: The parade begins at the Terryville Fire Department Headquarters on Harwinton Ave. More info Ridgefield Memorial Day Parade Time: 11:30 a.m. Location/Route: Steps off from Jesse Lee United Methodist Church, goes up Main Street More info Rocky Hill Memorial Day Parade Time: 9:30 a.m. Location/Route: Rocky Hill High School (50 Chapin Ave.). More info Southbury Memorial Day Parade & Picnic Time: 11 a.m. Location/Route: The parade begins at the Pomperaug Office Park parking lot, located across from CVS on Depot Hill Road, continues down Main Street South, and ends at the Veterans Memorial Green, located between the Town Hall and the Senior Center/Park & Recreation Offices. More info West Hartford Memorial Day Parade Time: 10 a.m. Location/Route: Corner of Woodrow Street and Farmington Avenue and ends at the Town Hall. More info West Haven Memorial Day Parade Time: 10:30 a.m. Location/Route: Campbell Avenue More info Westport Memorial Day Parade Time: 9:30 a.m. Location/Route: The parade starts with a brief ceremony at the World War I monument at the Town Hall (816 Main Rd.), then proceeds south down Main Road to Beech Grove Cemetery (974 Main Rd.). More info Woodbridge Memorial Day Ceremony Time: 11 a.m. Location: In front of the Center Building at the Veterans of Foreign Wars monument More info If a parade or event is missing, click here to email us. Please include a location, date, time and a link to the event. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
