Holly and I have been fortunate enough to have visited Washington, D.C. on several occasions in the recent past, and I must say; if you’ve never been you need to make time to visit.  The museums are incredible and the memorials will take your breath away.  The symbolism of each memorial and the thought that went into them are unique and spectacular.

    The Vietnam Memorial, for me, stands out among the rest.  I am a firm believer that if you can stand in front of this wall and not get choked up, you seriously need to check your pulse.  The size and scope of the wall itself are baffling and when you consider the number of names and then the number of families impacted it is just awe-inspiring.  I find myself speechless every time I stand in front of it and even now as I write this I am struggling for words to describe it.  While Holly and I were there last I squatted down and just stared at the names before me.  I was struck by my own reflection amongst their names.  In a very poetic way, I am able to stand here… because those names and the names like them at all the other memorials around Washington D.C. and elsewhere are there.  It is a great reminder that freedom is not free.

    This Memorial Day as we all enjoy our families and time away from work, let us all remember the high price that was paid that we could do this very thing.

–Dan Thompson