Editor's Note: Remember those who sacrificed

On this Memorial Day, it seemed kind of surreal. In my lifetime, we have been involved in the Vietnam War, the wars in the Middle East and several events on our homefront, including government buildings in Oklahoma and a tragedy in New York City, in which we were attacked on a large scale with planes flying into the Twin Towers, resulting in the largest terrorist attack ever on American soil.

With each occurrence, the patriotism and strength have shown in our military, our civilians and community members, who have come together as Americans first.

This year seems so surreal, because it seems that every day for the past few months has been Memorial Day. As the death toll continue to climb as more Americans lost their lives to COVID-19 we are forced to say goodbye to loved ones, friends and fellow residents who have lost their battle against this enemy.

As we memorialize those brave men and women who have served so fiercely in our military branches, we also can look on the brave men and women who have been on the front lines of this pandemic, the doctors, nurses, paramedics, police officers and so many others who have been out in the public serving the community while the rest of us were relatively safe in the confines of our homes.

With the Memorial Day ceremonies cancelled this year, it is a kind of irony that we cannot gather together to remember those men and women who fought so bravely for the freedoms that we hold so dear. So, this year it is more important than ever to remember all of those people who have sacrificed so much so that we can enjoy our rights and freedoms that we are afforded. This year we can maybe also include in the list of memories those people who never signed up to fight for our country, who were just regular people going to work, or living out their retirement after a lifetime of accomplishments, only to fall victim to an enemy that has killed more people than both World Wars combined.