This Is My New Jersey

“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy
forget in time that men have died to win them.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

There are few things that bug me more than I when I hear someone say “happy Memorial Day.” I understand that people normally say things like “Merry Christmas” or “Happy New Year” for a holiday, as they are happy moments and a time to celebrate. Memorial Day, however; it is not happy. It is a time to remember and pay homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

It is not a day to buy a mattress, or to simply plan a BBQ. It is certainly something more. Every town in the country stops today to remember those who died in battle, but also to remember their hometown heroes.

In my beloved hometown of Belleville, I participated in those Memorial Day services when I was in marching band. My town has sent many of their sons and daughters into harm’s way. Many died. Many didn’t come home. One such hero is PFC Henry Svehla, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division; Korea, age 19.

Private Svehla never came home. In defense of his platoon and his country, he lost his life in Korea. For his leadership and valor, PFC Svehla was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. In 2011, President Obama awarded him the Medal of Honor.

“That June of 1952, the heat was unbearable. The monsoon rains and mosquitoes were relentless. But the 7th Infantry Division pushed on — probing enemy lines, fighting bunker by bunker, hill by hill. And as Henry and his company neared the top of one hill, the rocky slopes seemed to explode with enemy fire. His unit started to falter, and that’s when Henry made his move. He stood up. He looked ahead. And he charged forward into a hail of bullets. Those who were there describe how he kept firing his weapon, kept hurling grenades, and how — even after being wounded in the face — he refused medical attention and kept leading the charge. That’s when an enemy grenade landed among his men. Every human instinct, every impulse, would tell a person to turn away. But at that critical moment, Henry Svehla did the opposite. He threw himself on that grenade. And with his sacrifice, he saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. Henry Svehla’s body has never been recovered. That’s a wound in the heart of his family that has never been fully healed. It’s also a reminder that, as a nation, we must never forget those who didn’t come home, are missing in action, who were taken prisoner of war — and we must never stop trying to bring them back to their families. ~President Barack Obama, 2011.

Today we remember PFC Svehla, and the countless others who lost their lives in defense of our country’s freedom. So take a moment today and say a prayer for all of them and their families. For them, every day is Memorial Day.