National Medal of Honor Day: Honoring Heroes

We'd like a minute today to discuss something extremely important in the lives of every American. National Medal of Honor Day. It is of monumental importance and we're disappointed it doesn't get more attention. The reasons we're disappointed should be obvious. The Medal of Honor is not handed out like a National Defense Ribbon, we're certain that almost everyone knows this, but the degree of separation from the other awards is often misunderstood.While advances in modern medicine have increased the survival rate of those awarded the medal during recent conflicts, the chances of dying while performing Medal of Honor actions are still extremely high. We are lucky in our generation during both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (despite any personal feelings towards them) that Edward Byers, Ty Carter, Dakota Myer, Kyle Carpenter, Clinton Romesha, Salvatore Giunta, Florent Groberg, Leroy Petry, Ryan M. Pitts, Ronald J. Shurer II, Britt Slabinski, William D. Swenson, and Kyle J. White are still among us.Then there are those in recent history who delivered unto us the ultimate sacrifice for their bravery. Robert James Miller, Jared C. Monti, Michael P. Murphy, Travis Atkins, Jason Dunham, Ross A. McGinnis, Michael A. Monsoor, and Paul R. Smith all paid the ultimate price.The list of names could go on for several more paragraphs, the men and one woman who received the nations highest honor deserve more than a passing glance and a fleeting thought. For our tomorrow they gave us everything they had.Whether you agree or disagree with where we should and shouldn't be, it's inconsequential on this day, because on this day we remember that there are men and women that will accomplish the impossible in the names of their brothers in arms. There are men and women who will risk it all and gamble so that others may live, so that others may continue to fight or continue to walk peacefully to the grocery store.We often forget, with the bad news and the hate so prevalent on social media...that there are real-life heroes that have walked, and continue to walk this Earth with us. Remember them. Honor them.