In this brief video, Ron Laudner, CEO of Iowa’s OmniTel Communications, shares the meaning of a pin he was wearing at the 2008 OPASTCO Winter Convention. As Memorial Day approaches, this brief video is a reminder of the great sacrifices the brave men and women of the armed forces have made.  For more commentary on this important subject, which was not part of the original post.

David Zach’s comments at the 2008 TOC, however, inspired me to add this Memorial Day remembrance of an Uncle my sisters and I never knew (link added 6/7/23). All of his brothers and sisters have joined him now, so all I know about Uncle Cliff is what my dad told me more than 35 years ago; that he was about 6’4”, that he died in the Pacific Theater of World War II, and that he was still a young man when he was killed. The limited Internet sleuthing I have done has not revealed any more detail. I often imagine the life he didn’t get to live; the marriage he never had, the kids he didn’t get to raise, and the holidays he missed.

His sacrifice is priceless and it is sad that he never had the chance to enjoy the freedoms and privileges that I take for granted. Still, his legacy, along with the legacies of the millions of others who made the ultimate sacrifice, is with us as we go about our daily routines. Thank you, Uncle Cliff. The memory of your sacrifice will not be forgotten.