Today is Memorial Day in 2016. I visited my wife's grave yesterday, and today I will probably go again and take some flowers, which I did not do yesterday. In Kentucky we used to call this day Decoration Day, because many people went to cemeteries and put flowers on graves and cleaned up around the grave of a relative or loved one.

But the most important part of this day, as most of you know, is to remember those who have kept our country safe all these many years. Heroes fell as wars raged on, while their comrades rescued their dead bodies to bring them back home to families who mourned and remembered their brave lives. Even today many die almost daily in wars around the world who volunteered to train to protect this great country and were ready to die for it.

Because of my handicap, I could not join any branch of service. My status is 4F. I tried to be a part of some secretarial pool or to be a clerk or something like that, but my classification would not permit it. Thus, I cannot be a soldier. However, I have known many soldiers, good soldiers. I have always loved and respected soldiers, though I could not be one.

Less and less honor is given to them, it seems; but they deserve our support and appreciation. I hope today will be spent, at least in a small way, to the respect and honor of our brave men and women who are ready to stand against the enemies of our country. We have a great country, and God is to be thanked and praised for His hand in allowing us to live in such a great country.