In the past I have written extensively about Memorial Day on the Biker Law Blog. You can read a very large write up on the Memorial Day holiday I did in 2007 by clicking here now.

If you don’t already know, Memorial Day is not just about a day off of work, a barbecue with the family, a day at the beach, or a day of drinking. Memorial Day is a national holiday to honor those heroes who have died in the service of the United States of America.

Somehow many people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day in that they honor those who served in the military, and those who have died in the military on this day.

This day is meant specifically to honor those who died in the service of our nation. As a veteran myself, I do not mind honoring veterans, but this day is not for veterans, this day is for those who have died in the service of our country.

On this day, Memorial Day, May 26, 2014, we find ourselves still at war in Afghanistan, with troops deployed all over the world.

We have men and women still fighting and dying in Afghanistan, after 13 years of war.

The Afghanistan war, is the longest war in the history of the United States of America.

Memorial Day is a day to honor those men and women who have died from the Revolutionary war, all the way through to today’s wars.

When you go by any National Cemetery you’ll see rows of white headstones which marked the graves of many thousands of people who have died in the service of their nation.

Many people just drive by and not give a second thought.

I strongly suggest that you take you and your family to visit a National Cemetery sometime. Walk around the gravestones with your family, read the gravestones, and maybe you’ll understand just a little bit of the gravity of the sacrifice that our men and women have made in the service of the United States of America.

It’s one thing to put a uniform on and serve in the armed forces like me and many others have before me have done. It’s another thing to pay the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our nation.

It is important to know that you are able to live in the United States of America, and enjoy your lives in the United States of America, because of the sacrifices those brave souls who gave their lives in the service of our nation paid.

Maybe today you’ll take a few minutes to reflect on those who have given their lives in the service of our nation, and thank them for the freedom they have given you and all of us.

May God be with those who have given their lives in the service of the United States of America. God bless America.

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., May 26, 2014

The post Memorial Day, 2014 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

I wrote an extensive article about Memorial Day in 2007 that you can read by clicking here.

As I write this article, our troops are fighting and dying in Afghanistan in the longest war in our nation’s history.

They are scheduled to cease combat operations in 2014.

I myself am a veteran of the United States Air Force; many of my family have served in many different wars.

There is no greater sacrifice than a person giving their life in the service of the country that they love.

As you look at the beautiful day today, enjoy your family, your freedom, and your food, try to remember those brave souls who can no longer enjoy the things in life that you take for granted.

Maybe can look up at the sky and say a prayer for them, and thank them for giving it their all so you can live in this land of the free.

It is all Americans duty to defend freedom.

I recently had a debate on Facebook with an ultra-right wing religious zealot based here in the United States of America. He attempted to couch his advocacy of turning our nation into a nation based only on his religious views, into a Constitutional argument.

This zealot and his kind seek to take away our individual rights and liberties by pushing their religious agenda on all of us, kind of like the same way the Taliban force their views on the people of Afghanistan, kind of like how the Iranians push their Muslim views on their society, kind of like all nations based on a certain religion have repressed their citizens for thousands of years.

Our founding fathers were smart guys, they purposefully kept a separation of religion and state so that all people would be free to do their own thing in this nation.

This Memorial Day remember the men and women who have fought and died for a nation where all people are able to practice their individual religious views however they want.

Right now there are subversives amongst us who seek to pervert our constitution by taking away our individual freedoms in many States as I speak, as well as at the national level.

In order to do our veterans justice we must all take a deep breath and vote, protest, and do everything legally necessary to ensure that our domestic enemies are stopped, just like our fallen military heroes stopped our foreign enemies.

Anytime you see someone advocate for taking away our liberty and freedom you are seeing an enemy of the USA, even if they are waving an American Flag.

We owe it to our fallen heroes. Vote well this upcoming election. Do not vote for a party that would subvert our individual freedoms and liberties.

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

The post Memorial Day 2012 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

I wrote a Memorial Day article 4 years ago entitled Blawg Review #110. You can read it by clicking here now. It is an extensive article about the history of Memorial Day, how Memorial Day is celebrated, and there are some video links in the article.

As of the date of the writing of this article, May 30, 2011, we, the United States of America, have been at war almost 10 years. The 10 year anniversary will fall on September 11, 2011.

Thousands of men and women have given their lives in the service of our nation since September 11, 2011, and over a million have died throughout our nation’s history.

As you enjoy the day with your friends or family, watch TV, go the mall, maybe attend a memorial day service or parade, you should take a moment to remember those brave souls that have given their all in our nation’s service, so that you can be free in this great nation of ours, enjoying this day, memorial day.

I would also ask that you take a moment to think of all the young men and young women serving who are in harm’s way right now on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, and let them be in your prayers.

Have a happy Memorial Day and God Bless America.

Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., Memorial Day, 2011

The post Happy Memorial Day first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Today is Monday, May 31, 2010. As of today over 1 million men and women have given their lives in the service or our nation. Today, Memorial Day, is the day we honor their sacrifice.

As of May 30, 2010, 4,387 men and women have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 1,075 have died Operation Enduring Freedom. (Afghanistan)

Freedom is not free. Those who have given their lives for our freedom paid for our freedom with all they had to give, their lives.

On May 24, 2010, 22 year old PFC. Christopher R. Barton Died in Operation Enduring Freedom, in Khowst province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.

On May 24, 2010, 44 year old Major Ronald W. Culver Jr. Died in Operation Iraqi Freedom, in Numaniyah, Iraq, when insurgents attacked his vehicle with a makeshift bomb.

On May 22, 2010, 24 year old PFC. Jason D. Fingar. Died in Operation Enduring Freedom, in Durai, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his military vehicle struck a makeshift bomb.

On May 21, 2010, 26 year old Staff SGT. Amilcar H. Gonzalez Died in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Ash Shura, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.

On May 20, 2010, 26 year old Spec. Stanley J. Sokolowski, III Died in Operation Iraqi Freedom, in Kirkuk, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident.

On May 19, 2010, 38 year old Staff SGT. Shane S. Barnard Died in Operation Enduring Freedom, in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he stepped on a secondary makeshift bomb.

On May 18, 2010, 46 year old PFC Col. John M. McHugh Died in Operation Enduring Freedom, Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their convoy with a vehicle-borne makeshift bomb.

I have listed 7 brave men who have given their lives in the service our nation, for our freedom in the past week. To honor those who have given their lives for our freedom is to remember them and what they did for us.

To see a list, pictures, and details of all who have died in our latest wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, click here now. I know it takes a bit of time to go through each person by date, but it will bring home the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Today is not a day for picnics, and sales at the local mall, it is a day to honor those who paid for our freedom by giving their lives for us. It is a solemn day. Tell your kids what this day is for. Study it for yourself.

God bless the United States of America. God bless our fallen hero’s.

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., 2010

The post Memorial Day 2010; God Bless our Fallen Who Have Given Everything For Our Freedom first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.