Today is Memorial Day in the United States. On Memorial Day, we pause to remember those who have served our country in the armed forces, and in particular, those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Memorial comes from the Latin word Memoria, which is, interestingly enough, one of the Latin words for history. Memoria also means memory or recollection.
My father served in the armed forces for many years and is buried in the National Military Cemetery near Montevallo, Alabama.
In Arlington National Cemetery, there is a monument bearing the Latin quote Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. “It is sweet and proper to die for one’s country.”
