Before you get caught up in barbecues and picnics, stop to reflect on the true reason for Memorial Day—to honor the defenders of our American freedom. Many military families received the dreaded knock on the door this year as they learned their loved one died in battle. Let’s remember to honor our service men and women as well as their families. Listen to these words from World War II General Douglas McArthur. "It is my earnest hope, indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past, a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice. Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always."