Memorial Day weekend is much more than just a time to Barbecue or goes camping. I am surprised at how many people don’t realize that it is a time to remember and honor those who served and gave their lives while in military service for our country. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to ride on many “Honor” rides with various motorcycle groups.

One of the groups I am proud to ride with is the Patriot Guard Riders. As a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, we attend funerals of members of the military and first responders to honor and ensure dignity and respect for the fallen heroes. The Patriot Guard All share respect and gratitude for those who serve and risk their lives for our freedom, safety, and security. It is impossible to go back in time to thank these brave Americans for their service to our country, but we can ride for those who stood for us and show honor and respect to both them and their families at their funerals and memorials. I have been thanked by family members many times for just being there to show respect for their fallen loved ones and it is always an honor to serve them in this way.

I try to make it a habit to thank service men and women for their service when I get the opportunity. Often when I see someone wearing a hat that identifies them as a Veteran, I discreetly thank them for their service. A few years ago, I was in a restaurant and an older gentleman was sitting at the coffee counter eating breakfast by himself. I noticed that he was wearing a WW2 Veteran hat. When I told the waitress to add his bill to mine, she told me that he used to come in every weekend with his wife and sit in a booth in the corner for breakfast before she passed away. She told me that now he comes in by himself and sits at the counter. He is always polite but doesn’t talk much to anyone. He orders the same thing every time with a cup of coffee and just reads the newspaper. I borrowed a pen from the waitress and wrote a simple note on a napkin that said “thank you for your service and may God bless you “and asked the waitress to give it to him when he was done with his breakfast. As I was going to the register to pay the bill, the waitress was talking to him. When I walked past him, he turned and looked at me with a big smile and said, “thank you and you’re welcome”. I just smiled back and said, “thank you, sir”.

It is sad that we get so busy with our lives that we don’t take the time to thank Veteran’s and first responders for their service while they are still alive. I challenge everyone reading this article to make it a habit whenever you meet someone who is or has served, to say “thank you “.