Memorial Day commemorates the soldiers and military personnel who have died in our wars. For me, the day brings with it memories of my father, who served as a Marine during WWII.
I always bragged to friends and family that my father was, "a Marine of the highest caliber." When asked why he wanted to be a Marine, my father responded that he wanted to be with the best. One soldier who served under my father recalled that he always put his men first, before providing for himself. This soldier added, "If he had said, 'Today we are going through The Gates of Hell,' we would have said, 'Let's go'."
My father didn't only influence his children and friends, but also his grandchildren. Based on an essay he wrote, my oldest son was chosen out of 80 kids in his 8th-grade class to lay the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on his class trip to Washington DC.
I hadn't seen the essay before the trip. Upon my son's return, I asked one of his teachers if she could give me a copy. I was shocked to find out he had written his essay about my father.
Here is an excerpt:
"There are many reasons why I would like to lay the wreath, but one of the main reasons for laying the wreath has to do with my 94-year-old grandfather, Martin Davidson. My grandfather fought in WWII. He sailed on ships with other Marines. He fought hard and in 1945, he safely returned to the United States after the war was over… I would like to honor my grandfather by laying the wreath and honor those other men who fought in the war and for our country. As a Jew, if the war was not resolved, I would never have been born, and I am so thankful to my grandfather for helping the US along with millions of other men, for saving many people in danger of losing their lives."
Pretty good for a 14-year-old, wouldn't you say?
So, today I remember my dad, along with all who fought bravely and selflessly to protect our country.