Photo challenge: I can't live without

It seems a little bit odd to be saying, "Happy Memorial Day!"  because the day is meant more for solemn reflection than for big sales on used Chevrolets and for paying respect to those who selflessly laid down their lives in battle to keep our nation free.

If rug dealers and big box electronics merchants want to capitalize and make some extra money off the patriotic angle,  they can explain that to their children and families.  To each his or her own.

My Dad served in the Navy in World War II and came home, met my mother, and contributed to the baby boom.  But before all this, Mom had been all set to marry another guy, but he was killed when his bomber was shot down.  She never talked much about him, but it had to be horrible, and then to think of that scene being repeated in home after home, all across America and the world.  Peggy's Dad was in the Army, same war, and came home to marry Peggy's mom, and then Peggy and I met up and found our way to persistent bliss for almost 40 years now because our country did not roll over to the Germans and the Japanese and the Italians - the tripartite Axis that threatened to end the free world as we knew it, then and now.

Their legacy to us was our freedom.  The price can be seen here at Arlington.  These are men and women without whom we just could not live as we do.