I look around today’s world and I see a lot of hero worship bychildren and teens – even adults.

Children and pre-teens are enamored with the likes of teen idolsMiley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. The older teens admire sportsfigures and movie headliners.

The real heroes are the men and women who sacrifice their time,families and lives for our country now and in the past. They arethe ones who deserve our admiration and, most of all, ourthanks.

Tomorrow we will celebrate Memorial Day.

Originally called Decoration Day, it originated shortly afterthe Civil War as a remembrance of soldiers, both Union andConfederate, who lost their lives in battle.

At some point after World War I, the honor was expanded toinclude all soldiers who were lost in battle in any war. Theholiday soon became known nationally as Memorial Day and recognizedas a federal holiday in 1971.

Today we commemorate the holiday on the last Monday in May.

When looking up dates and information about Memorial Day, I ranacross the poem, “We Shall Keep The Faith,” by Moina Michael. Onestanza of the poem reads:

“We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies”

Michael wrote the poem in 1915, which was inspired by the poem”In Flanders Fields.” That last line says it all: ” … blood ofheroes never dies.”

Over the years many heroes have ventured onto battlefields tofight for our great country. Many returned home to their families,but there were many, many more who were not so fortunate.

As a tribute to fallen soldiers, Michael began the tradition ofwearing red poppies on Memorial Day. She even took the idea a stepfurther by selling the red poppies, with the proceeds going to helpthe widows and children of servicemen.

Little did she know that almost 100 years later those redpoppies would still be around and providing the same help to needyservicemen and their families in the way of the Buddy Poppy programthrough the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

And while tomorrow we’ll bow our heads and remember our war deadon Memorial Day and some may even wear their red poppies, I alsoencourage you to honor those veterans and military personnel whoare still with us and say a grateful “thank you” for the sacrificesthey made for us.

There is a special day set aside for such honors, Veterans Day,which is celebrated in November, but I think we should say “thankyou” every day of the year.

If I remember correctly, the last World War I veteran died backin February of this year.

Frank Buckles was only 16 years old when he lied about his ageand enlisted in the Army. He was 110 years old when he passedaway.

Generations have changed greatly since Buckles was a young man.In his day and probably for the next generation it was desirableand even honorable to be a member of military. Buckles wanted to bein the service so bad he lied about his age in order to join.

That same desire to serve our country existed when mygrandfather was a teen. When World War II started in 1939, hepromptly joined the Calvary in Texas. Like most veterans of the”Greatest Generation,” he doesn’t talk much about his time in theArmy, but I have heard a few stories of his time spent infoxholes.

After joining, my grandfather went on to serve in the Army fornearly five years in the jungles of the Philippines and otherislands in the Pacific. He was wounded three different times andwas awarded the Purple Heart.

Our World War II veterans are slowly dwindling in numbers. Sowhen you see one, say “thank you.”

These holidays are meant to honor those brave men and women whochose to take up arms for our country and protect the rights andfreedoms we all enjoy on a day-to-day basis.

I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t wait until Memorial Dayor Veterans Day, or even after our servicemen are dead, to expressyour gratitude.

Have you hugged a vet today?

And how was your week?

Graphics and Systems Director Tammie Brewer can be reachedat The DAILY LEADER at (601) 833-6961 ext. 144, by e-mail attbrewer@dailyleader.com or you can write to her at P.O. Box 551,Brookhaven MS 39602.