Here in the United States we have a holiday called Memorial Day. The origins of this holiday go back to the 19th century when a Decoration Day became a tradition shortly after the Civil War. I prefer the name Decoration Day over the Memorial Day moniker.

No controversy here. I feel truly that Decoration Day is a day where we pay tribute to the fallen. The fallen soldiers who gave their greatest gift in sacrifice for a cause they believed in. Their gift was their life. The cause was American freedom. A freedom being threatened by $47 administration and his political party. These men and women would have died in vain if the crimes of these officials is allowed to stand.

In honor of these great patriots we need to decorate their graves and share the stories of their sacrifice. Their stories need to be told and compared to the lackluster accomplishments of an administration that wants an oligarchy rather than freedom for the populace.

One story that always resonates with me are the Four Chaplains. During World War II the SS Dorchester was serving as a troop carrier between the States and Great Britain. On February 3, 1943 at 12:55 a.m. the Dorchester was hit by a torpedo from a U-Boat 223. The ship lost power, began listing, and sank in less than an hour. On this ship were four chaplains. The chaplains were Reverend George L. Fox (Methodist,) Reverend Clark V. Poling (Reformed,) Father John P. Washington (Catholic,) and Rabbi Alexander B. Goode (Judaism.) Based on survivor testimony the four chaplains gave their life jackets to the soldiers in need and formed a prayer circle. All four lost their lives in the icy depths of the Atlantic.

There is a musical piece written in their honor by James Swearingen for band featuring the hymn tune God of Our Fathers. There is a commemorative postage stamp. Congress even declared February 3rd as Four Chaplains Day. Their story is one of sacrifice over countless other values.

As a humanist and agnostic this singular story captures the humanism that is lost on the religious practice of the Christian Nationalists. These four very different theological practices put aside all difference in hopes of saving a soldier they were sailing with, and then they prayed for those abandoning ship. This is a noble lesson in humility, and of course sacrifice. This is what Decoration Day is all about. The ultimate sacrifice without thought for oneself. It is a lesson for those that continue the struggle forward. We must decorate these accomplishments with honor and glory. Memorializations seem to fall by the wayside after a day or two. Decorations last longer. They are reminders to all visitors the sacrifices these men and women made.

Decoration Day should be a day of reminder, not memorials. Memories fade, reminders stick. My country needs to be reminded about sacrifice over selfishness. Where is the sacrifice by our ruling party? There isn’t any. Despite some of them serving in the military they behave with such disinterest concerning their fellow citizens that they served with…. Senator Joni Ernst and Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks come to mind. The Christian Nationalists wouldn’t know sacrifice if it hit them in their face. They believe in selfishness and self-service rather than self-sacrifice. These folks need to be reminded hard and heavy.

There is a bit of irony to be had at my expense for honoring four chaplains making a sacrifice for our freedom aboard a ship in the North Atlantic during WWII. I deplore what religion has done to this world, but these four men did something honorable. They put aside religious difference and did the right thing. They came together to help others despite that difference. I find this honorable. Far more honorable than the actions of the government today.

Decoration Day… May 30, 1868… A reminder of sacrifice… freedom is not free… …and so it goes… Sacrificium eorum libertatem…