I thought Memorial day meant BBQ and Beer?

OK, I never saw Memorial day as a paid day off from work. I never really saw it as a time to float down the river getting sloshed from Budweiser and having a merry time. I never saw it as a day for BBQ, throwing Tri-tip on the grill, mixing salad together and tossing back some Coronas while forgetting about the actual day itself.

All examples above have been listed in my facebook or twitter stream over the past week. But sadly not once have I seen a "I'm going to a local cemetery to remember those who have passed already" or "I'm going to find a group of veterans who may have lost a brother or sister in arms and today won't be able to tell them happy memorial day."

I haven't seen any corporate commercials on television saying "That a service member or Veteran on memorial day" or "On Memorial Day, all Active Duty, Reservist, Veterans, and family of servicemembers will get X% discount today"

*note, nice guy is exiting, Navy Vet is stepping in*

SO, this mean that a bunch of shitferbrain drunks care more about Memorial day than corporate America. SHIT. This means that meat companies and beer companies and BBQ companies are saying "YEAAAAAHHHH profits off the backs of those men and women who gave everything for these dipshits to get drunk and BBQ all day" Great, America has been left to party over the graves of those who gave their life for us to be free. *SIGH* Have fun getting drunk while my brothers and sisters in the Armed forces are having a memorial day... in the Middle East... and actually remembering their fallen patriots who may have been standing with them the day before.

*nice guy back... kinda*

Do me this favor America. Next Monday, if you must party, party and while toasting your friends, toast the soldier who is dodging bullets for your right to, well, party. While taking a wonderful bite of your steak and potato salad, savor it. For there is a soldier eating an M.R.E. for the 9th month in a row. and while you enjoy a day off with your family, cherish the time you have because somewhere in every ocean of the world, there is a sailor who hasn't seen their family in months, wasn't there for the birth of a child, wasn't there for a graduation, wasn't there for a milestone event in a family members' life.

And if you find yourself out and about, look extra hard for someone in uniform, someone wearing a hat that signifies which war they served in, a vehicle with a sticker of what branch they served in. When you see them, open their door, offer to carry groceries, offer to buy them a beer, offer SOMETHING. The funny thing though, most often, they will say no thank you, the gesture was more than enough. It was the simple fact that YOU paid attention and offered to say thank you in one way or another.

If you have a chance to do something great on Memorial Day, Please post on here so the world can see your good deeds. Or if you don't want to post your info, feel free to post anonymously.