Honoring our soldiers

Ismael Rodriguez Staff Writer

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, one where those who have fallen while serving the United States military are honored. Yet, its origins are obscure. In previous years, there has been no set way to honor the dead, and many places do so with varying methods.

After three years of this, Maj. Gen. John A. Logan established the May 5, in 1856 Decoration Day. Later on May 5, 1966 President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y. the birthplace of Memorial Day. This day was to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil War.

After World War I that day was expanded to include any U.S. Soldier who died fighting in any American wars. Later the Government turned the day into a three-day weekend and passed a law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” which is a time of silence to honor them.

That is how Memorial Day became a day to remember veterans from all of America’s military history. Yet, veterans are more than the dead warriors or grizzled soldiers people expect, they are the people who helped protect and build this country. Take Michael Lathrop for example.

Lathrop was greatly influenced to join the military from seeing his grand father. “I just remember growing up, seeing him in his dress blues, wearing his uniform and just being so proud of him and what he stood for. Ya’ know, it was very special for me,” Lathrop said. After High school he joined the Army after much deliberation.

Lathrop took a lot from the Military. It instilled a discipline and organizational thinking, structure and schedule. “It’s really helped me keep everything on task, on schedule and on time. It’s helped me organize my schedules: from the daily activities of my life to my academic career,”Lathrop said.

It has also given him the tools he needs to do what he what he wants outside of the military. The military has given him confidence; want more for his family, himself and education.

“That transition from the military lifestyle to the college experience is very challenging. Especially when you’re so used to being in the military,” Lathrop said. He was in the Army for eight and a half years. Without the support of his unit, he found he had to drive himself.

Lathrop is working towards a computer associates in computer engineer. He attends the Puyallup campus in the evening and the army helped show him what he wanted to do. While in the military he found he enjoyed communications. “I loved what I did. The tinkering, the mechanics of communications, I’ve just always enjoyed that.” He graduates June 13 and looks forward to the next steps in life.

“When you look at the basic foundation of, you know, what the army or what the military can be, you know you have the discipline, the respect,those leadership capabilities, that selfless service, that honor and those integrities. You carry those with you outside of being in the military, which plays a significant role with those you interact with, fellow peers here at the college. It also helps you relate with other veteran students.”

These veterans, whether they be dead or living, are people who deserve to be honored for their contributions, and sacrifices.