More Than Names

This coming Monday morning, a handful of volunteers will take turns reading aloud the names of 6,260 fallen East Tennessean service members. Inscribed in stone upon pillars in Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park, these names represent lives given in service and sacrifice.

Pictured above: Congressional Medal of Honor recipients during their convention in 2014 gathered at the ETVMA Memorial.

The reading will last roughly 5 hours and happens each Memorial Day starting at dawn and ending just before noon. It is somber yet reflective and heavy yet uplifting.

Maybe now or sometime Monday morning, remember if you can to pause for just a minute. As a veteran, I would ask you to think about those names and those lives sacrificed in duty to their country and us.

Think also about your family that raised you and how you came to this place in life.

Think about your family today and where they are going.

Look around and see the efforts being made by all of us in support of one another.

Memorial Day is important as it helps us to remember the enormous sacrifices made in bringing us to today and the current efforts to secure our tomorrow. It also reminds us that the future remains bright and full of promise.