Column: May we never forget that freedom isn’t free
By Dan Kontos
As you drive down Post Rd. in Plover or Clark St. in Stevens Point, you may have noticed work crews placing banners on the light poles.
Some of these banners are part of the Hometown Heroes program, honoring veterans from the community, and serving as a way to say thank you for their service and sacrifice.
I’m sure practically zero of those veterans asked for this treatment, but we as a nation respect our military and are grateful for what they have done for us. At least the respectable people in society are. That’s why we have three special days dedicated to respecting our armed forces.
The first is Armed Forces Day. This year it was on May 19. Did you miss it? On Armed Forces Day, we honor all the currently serving members of our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force, both on active duty as well as in our National Guard and Reserve forces.
On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson, at the direction of President Harry S. Truman, announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.
You may not have even noticed this special day, more interested with the latest celebration of aberrance day, or the-latest-grievance week, or superbia month, or some other such superfluous nonsense. Others of you were actually at Fort McCoy celebrating with thousands of your fellow patriots and citizens.
Another special day is Veterans Day. It honors all those that served in uniform as part of the armed forces. Originally called Armistice Day, this holiday is observed every November 11, the day World War I ended in 1918.
In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson celebrated Armistice Day for the first time, but it wasn’t until 1926 that Congress recognized it, and in 1938 made it an official federal holiday. In 1954, the holiday’s name was changed to Veterans Day, to honor all who served.
This Monday, May 29, is Memorial Day. This special day honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Military.
After the Civil War ended in the spring of 1865, Decoration Day was widely observed by many Americans to honor the war dead, by visiting cemeteries, holding family gatherings, and taking part in community parades. It was codified as Memorial Day by Congress in 1968, and became an official federal holiday in 1971.
It is often said that Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season. It seems only fitting that the toils and costs borne by others throughout the years leads to our best weather and opportunity for enjoyment.
The Hometown Heroes banners will be on display from Memorial Day until around Labor Day.
When you see these decorations, take a minute to reflect on the sacrifices that our military has made, and is making now, for our freedom and security. Whether they paid the ultimate price, suffer scars from combat from wounds that are both seen and unseen, or spent time away from family and comfort to honorably serve their nation, they all contributed to the toll that freedom demands.
You see, not to be cliché, freedom isn’t free. It’s paid for by men and women you see on those poles, by men and women who are now standing post in a faraway place, and by men and women who are buried at Arlington and other places of eternal rest. I’m grateful for them, and I hope you are too.
So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it, boldly, honestly, and with a healthy respect for our military and each other. Until then, God bless.
