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Honoring fallen every day

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kathryn R.C. Reaves
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Memorial Day, created in the years following the Civil War and officially declared a national holiday in 1971, is a day of remembrance honoring U.S. military members who paid the ultimate price.

Every year on Memorial Day, people gather for ceremonies, participate in the National Moment of Remembrance and decorate the graves of veterans.

“On Memorial Day we honor the final resting places of the more than one million men and women who sacrificed their lives for our Nation, by decorating their graves with the stars and stripes, as generations have done since 1868,” said President Donald Trump in a May 24 proclamation. “We also proudly fly America's beautiful flag at our homes, businesses, and in our community parades to honor their memory. In doing so, we pledge our Nation's allegiance to the great cause of freedom for which they fought and ultimately died.”

But for some 20th Fighter Wing Airmen, remembering fallen heroes is not limited to one day a year.

“It’s important for us to honor them every day and remember that sacrifice,” said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Arndt, 20th Security Forces Squadron flight chief.

“At the end of the day they made a sacrifice, willing or unwilling at that point, to lay down their lives for our country,” said Arndt. “They left behind family members who may or may not have signed up for that same sacrifice. Being a spouse or a child … of a service member is a tough job in-and-of itself, but to never get that father or mother home again, or maybe son or daughter, is something they deal with every single day of their life and has a lasting impact.”

For 20th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight Airmen, forgetting the fallen and their families is nearly impossible.

A mural of the U.S. flag spans a wall in the EOD gym, the names of lost technicians, some of which current 20th CES Airmen served with, are painted on its stripes to ensure their brothers and sisters are never forgotten.

“The huge wall out there in our gym … is a great reminder every day,” said Senior Airman Jake Day, 20th CES EOD journeyman. “The names are right there in your face so you never forget and you never get complacent.”

Although many lives have been lost, they live on in the memories of family members, friends and strangers across the country who remember their service to the nation.

“The families of our fallen heroes deserve our unwavering support every day,” said Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force Chief of Staff. “Let us renew our commitment as a service to ensure they are not alone. (These) Gold Star families are our responsibility and caring for them is our sacred duty.”