THE CZECH IS IN THE MAIL
About a decade ago, I was talking to one of my veteran friends and I told him, “Happy Memorial Day.”
He said something along the lines of, “Well, this isn’t a day of happiness. This is for the guys who didn’t make it home.”
It was then I learned the true meaning of Memorial Day.
It’s not a day to celebrate, but rather a day to remember.
Across the planet, from Europe to Asia and the Middle East, many men and women of the U.S. armed forces fought to preserve our liberty. Monday is for them.
A year ago, the tombstone plate of a local veteran – Conrado Nira – was vandalized and likely stolen.
The case is unsolved, but the motive behind the theft is believed to be stripping copper for its high value as scrap.
The plate was replaced free of charge in March. That gives many a small sense of justice for someone who put his life on the line for us.
Nira was one of the lucky ones. A veteran of the Pacific theater in World War II and Korea, he came home not once, but twice.
Nira also raised a family in Taylor. Pat Alderete and Belinda Munoz are his daughters and they still live in Taylor.
The former serviceman would’ve turned 100 on March 31, which fittingly was the day his daughters discovered their father’s tombstone plate had been replaced. The veteran died May 12, 2016, and it was around that time last year the discovery of the missing marker was made.
There are a lot of crimes out there, but desecrating the resting place of a veteran is the lowest of the low. I hope and pray the thief responsible for this will grow a conscience and surrender to law enforcement.
The men and women who put their lives on the line, especially those who died in the service of their country, deserve our utmost respect. Their families should be able mourn these beloved service members in peace.
While you’re enjoying a day off from work with your family, remember this is a day to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
And, unlike myself a decade ago, remember it’s not a day of celebration.
Chlapek is the area editor of the Taylor Press and Elgin Courier. He can be reached at jason.chlapek@granitemediapartners.
com.
