Memorial Day Reflectin' & Rucking For Raiders

Don’t worry – this post won’t be too heavy, (you can tell on account of the way I wrote “reflectin'” instead of full out “reflecting” in the title). But…

…the 3-day kick-off party marking the unofficial start to Summer – Memorial Day Weekend – can be tough. Today, whether it’s a grandparent, family member, friend, co-worker, neighbor, spouse, etc., many of us are thinking about a service member (or many) that we knew, who is no longer with us.

Yesterday at the Indy500, over 200,000 people were instantly silent when Taps began to play. Despite my concerning level of early morning whiskey intake in the tailgate lot, I sobered up as goosebumps ran down my arms, and I had to force back tears.

No matter how many years pass, it still goes right to my heart, and the losses still hurt. Always will if we’re being honest. If you know this feeling, you’re not crazy, you’re human. And it helps (me, at least) to know that there’s so many efforts & events out there to remember & honor the fallen, and that “they are not forgotten” is more than just a nice phrase tossed out there.

Earlier this month I got to participate in one of those events with Marines & students from Auburn University, along with some of their friends. As your Memorial Day winds down, check out the amazing things SSgt. Daniel Campbell has done to remember fallen MARSOC Marines & help their families.

If you’d like to donate or learn more about the Marine Raider Foundation, visit marineraiderfoundation.org.

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