One Thing Memorial Day Moves Me to Do

My WWII Veteran Father Taught Me This Lesson

In World War II, the American airforce faced astounding, even unbelievable odds.

Flying into an air skirmish against Messerschmitts, a pilot could look left and right at his buddies and know that two out of the three of them weren’t going to make it back.

My father was one of those pilots.

The statistics were chilling.

Out of the original three-hundred and ninety members of his squadron, thirty men were left by the end of the war.

In fact, the stakes for airmen were so treacherous that the military only required each man to fly twenty-five missions. After that he could be rotated home.

As you could imagine, his mother was just praying for the day that mission twenty-five rolled around. Everyone with a loved one in the air was.

When it came time for his final mission, Dad made a phone call home. The family was overjoyed to hear his voice — until he said, “I’m staying to keep fighting.”

My father and his friends realized that the entire squadron would benefit from their leadership and example.

And with that experience, they could evade the enemy and accomplish even more for their country.

So he finished 25 more missions.

Then 50.

They finally had to pull him out of the air after 160 missions!

Charlie Harrington was my first mentor in business and in life.

I will never forget the dedication my father showed to his fellow soldiers, to the safety of his family, and the security of freedom.

Memorial Day Is about an Attitude of Gratitude

“America was not built upon fear but on courage, upon imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” — Harry S Truman

Memorial Day is a day where we pause to thank dedicated men and women and especially to remember those who made the Ultimate Sacrifice in service.

As Americans we’re usually all about individualism, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps mentality, and finding our own unique voice.

But let’s face it: every step we take today is because of the foundation someone else built, sometimes at the expense of their own lives.

How often do we say thank you to the people who created a world we can take for granted?

Let this day remind all of us that we never get to where we dream of going on our own.

Success Is Never a Solo Act.

“The attitude of gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.” —Zig Ziglar

So this weekend,

• Remember those who’ve fallen…
• Thank those who serve…
• Value their stories…
• Get involved helping veterans in your community.

And be grateful for all who sacrifice every day so you can have the freedom to do what you do!

And if YOU are currently serving in the armed forces, let me say from the bottom of my heart…

THANK YOU!

Leave a comment to tell me who YOU will thank today.