"Whatever it took"

There are a lot of good pieces out there today to remind us that we all should pause, at some point, and reflect, in some way, on that sacrifices that so many men and women, past and present, have made for America, so we can all enjoy a glorious spring day like this one, as free people. Locally, there's such an article from my friend Dan Rubin at the Inquirer:

Corma, 78, had been at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital for more than a month, learning how to get around after losing most of his right leg to diabetes. Twice complications had sent him back to a hospital.

"You can't tell me I can't see my own son," he replied.

Alex Kobb, a physical-therapy team leader, stepped forward. Three times Kobb had worked with Corma. They'd bonded. He said he would do whatever it took.

"All he ever talked about was his son, how he was a West Point grad," Kobb said later, "how he was very proud."

Here's a good article (from the Huffington Post, of all places!) on ways that you can honor our veterans and our troops today.

And here's more along those lines from Paul Rieckhoff:

But you can help change that. Take a moment this Monday to pause and pay respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation. Every American can pledge to help make Memorial Day the day of remembrance, not the day of mattress sales. Even if you're at the beach, you can take a moment to pause with your family and teach your kids what Memorial Day signifies. You can teach yourself and your family about what it means to serve your family, your community, and your country.