Memorial Day: Remembering the Fallen… and Calling Out the Fakes

It’s Memorial Day. And no, it’s not just the unofficial start of summer, a mattress sale extravaganza, or a reason to overcook burgers in your neighbor’s questionable grill. It’s the day we pause — or at least should pause — to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to this country.

Real sacrifice. Not performative nonsense. Not a flag pin on a lapel or a photo op in front of a cemetery for the cameras.

Because you know the type — the same politicians who spend 364 days a year gutting VA funding, cutting mental health care, and cheering on wars from the safety of a soundproofed studio — and then magically reappear on Memorial Day wrapped in Old Glory like they invented sacrifice.

They’ll tweet something solemn. Maybe lay a wreath. Then go right back to voting against the GI Bill, refusing to fund burn pit care, or telling homeless veterans to “pull themselves up by the bootstraps” — even when their boots are long gone.

So let’s be clear: remembering the fallen means more than throwing hashtags around once a year. It means taking care of the living veterans who came home. It means not using service members as props while denying them dignity. It means holding our leaders accountable every day — not just when there’s a parade.

To those who served and lost their lives: we honor you. We grieve for you. We remember your names, even if some members of Congress can’t remember the names of their own districts.

And to those who lost someone — a friend, a sibling, a child, a partner — today’s for you, too. No barbecue or backyard playlist can fill that void. We see you.

Now, if you’re lucky enough to be spending today outside with friends or family, go ahead. Enjoy it. That’s part of the freedom they fought for — the ability to gather, rest, and raise a glass. But maybe raise two: one for the person at your table, and one for the person who isn’t here because they gave everything so the rest of us could.

And as you watch the flag fly, remember: loving this country doesn’t mean blind loyalty to politicians or parties. It means caring enough to be angry when things go wrong. It means demanding better. It means remembering that sacrifice without accountability is just empty ceremony.

So yes, wear the red, white, and blue. Yes, enjoy the extra day off. But maybe also take a minute to ask your representative why the veterans’ suicide hotline was underfunded. Or why some service members still rely on food stamps. Or why the last bill to support military families was quietly strangled in a committee.

Memorial Day isn’t about fireworks. It’s about fire in the gut.

Let’s honor them with more than just words.

Julie Bolejack, MBA