Why I Observe Memorial Day
Today, I want to talk about one of the reasons I became so observant of our military service.
My family has deep military ties. My grandfather served in the United States Air Force and several of my members of my extended family served during World War II, including the invasion of Germany.
In the early 1980s though, my father graduated from high school. He went with his friend James Joseph Langon IV to a Marine Corps recruitment office. While my father didn’t end up enlisting, but Jim Langon did. Then came October 1983…
For those of you who don’t know your military history, on October 23, 1983 jihad militants drove two truck bombs into the military barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. This act of terrorism claimed the lives of 220 United States Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers. Supposedly at the time, this was the largest single-day death toll for the Marines since their assault on Iwo Jima during WWII, the deadliest single-day death toll for the US military since the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, and the deadliest attack on Americans overseas since WWII. This affected my father because Corporal Jim Langon IV was one of those Marine Corps casualties. I grew up hearing this story.
I also want to take one moment to remember Cpl. David LeValley. While Cpl. LeValley did not give his life in service while in the United States Marine Corps, his service will always be remembered. He passed away on May 26, 2018. He was the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office and he passed away due to illnesses he contracted while he was stationed at the FBI’s New York Office on September 11th, 2001 responding to the attacks on the Twin Towers. David’s son Nathan, one of my best friends growing up in Pennsylvania, continues his father’s memory in service to our country as a Marine.
Veterans Day is about remembering all those who wore the uniform. Memorial Day is about remembering those who didn’t make it out of uniform. Thank you for your service Cpl. Langon and SAC LeValley. It surely will never be forgotten.
