The unofficial start to summer kicks off this weekend with cookouts, pool parties, and beach getaways. As a combat veteran who has lost friends to the scourge of war, I want to provide the following public service announcement. Enjoy the holiday weekend but please find time to celebrate Memorial Day the right way. Whatever you do, avoid these holiday greetings: “Thank you for your service” and “Happy Memorial Day.”

我参加了乔治·W·布什学院的Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program让我意识到，随着我们在改善教育，就业和福祉方面的退伍军人成果的进步时，我们需要做更多的事情来弥合这个国家不断增长的军事阵容。这项努力始于清除美国最误解的假期之一的混乱 - 记忆日。

在阵亡将士纪念日，美国人应该停下来记住牺牲生命的勇敢的男人和女人 - 在过去和现在的战场上进行战场，过去和现在的战争中都为他们的国家服务。对于金星的家人和堕落者的朋友来说，假期更多是关于庄严的事物 - 纪念和记住失去战争的生命，而不是幸福。而且，如果您想感谢一位退伍军人，请将其保存在退伍军人节或一年中的其他任何一天中。

尽管对公共机构的信任正在侵蚀，但军方发现自己处于著名喜剧演员罗德尼·丹格菲尔德（Rodney Dangerfield）会羡慕的位置，但它得到了各种尊重。In a recent study，有87％的美国人说他们对军队有很大的信心。美国人可能对军队有信心，但对机构的无知正在增加，因为越来越多的美国人不再与服务人员亲自联系。

2011年皮尤调查揭示了对我们穿着制服的男人和女人的熟悉而世代相传的鸿沟。50岁及50岁以上的美国成年人中有四分之三以上，有一个直系亲属在军队中服役，但对于18至29岁的成年人，这一百分比下降到只有三分之一。America’s youth.

During my time as a teacher, most of my students didn’t have family connections to the military and entered the classroom knowing next to nothing about it. Many couldn’t identify the five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces or describe the significance of military-connected events in history, like D-Day. And most troubling, they didn’t even know America was at war.

但是不要责怪学生和老师的失败。对于全国大多数公民教育课程而言，军方在支持和捍卫我们的民主方面的作用并不是重要的组成部分。即使五角大楼是我们国家军队的象征，位于弗吉尼亚州，The History and Social Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools for U.S. Government不需要学生在国内外表现出对军队及其关键职能的任何知识。当您认为美国人在军队中服役并且退伍军人人口正在迅速下降时，这是不可接受的。将来，实际兵役的故事将不再被祖父母传递。了解军队的唯一机会必须在课堂上发生。

对课程的更改是一个良好的开始，但是只有新的学习标准专注于识别事实和分析抽象思想，它才能做到很多。只有在课程人性化主题的情况下，才能克服对军队的无知。有什么比分享最能代表军队价值观的个人的影响力的故事更好的方法。凯尔·怀特。

2007年11月9日，怀特的单位被伏击在阿富汗的崎山山上。在长时间的战斗中，怀特（White）暴露了多次枯萎的敌人火灾，为受伤的同志提供医疗援助，并随着沟通的方式，他冒着生命危险以确保有效的广播。

“然后，他向友好部队提供了信息和最新信息，使精确的空袭能够扼杀敌人的袭击，并最终允许医疗撤离来营救他，他的同胞士兵，海军陆战队和阿富汗陆军士兵。”荣誉勋章引文。

本月初，我很荣幸见到中士。白色的。在我们的谈话中，我们俩都同意需要做些事情，以清除阵亡将士纪念日庆祝活动的国家混乱。教育工作者应利用国会荣誉勋章基金会（CMOH）资源，包括其Medal of Honor Character Development Program。Superintendents, principals and teachers seeking ways to introduce the military to their students should utilize this curriculum. I wish I had been aware of this resource when I was teaching.

White told me that service doesn’t mean you have to wear the uniform, and he’s right. Educators are serving this country too, by providing the next generation with the tools necessary to succeed in the future and helping them become better citizens. A good citizen must understand the military and those who serve and sacrifice in it.

As a responsible corporate citizen, Lockheed Martin has a role to play in encouraging greater awareness and appreciation of the military among the civilian population, including doing our part to honor and recognize Memorial Day the right way. We do this through supporting the CMOH foundation efforts to share the stories of Medal of Honor recipients with students across the country. Our employees contribute and volunteer for organizations that care for the families of our fallen heroes, such as theTragedy Assistance Program for Survivors。And we make sure to spotlight the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform through our sponsorship of the国家纪念日音乐会。

Americans should have fun this holiday weekend. But they should take time on Memorial Day to engage in acts of remembrance by visiting memorials and veteran cemeteries, watching the National Memorial Day Concert, or supporting groups that care for the families of our fallen heroes. And if you’re too busy, remember that a story told is not forgotten. Please find a few minutes in the day to read the stories of ultimate sacrifice, such as the six men killed who fought alongside Sgt. White on November 9, 2007: Sgt. Phillip Bocks, Capt. Matthew Ferrara, Spc. Joseph Lancour, Cpl. Sean Langevin, Sgt. Jeffrey Mersman, and Cpl. Lester Roque. Their legacy lives on when we share their stories. We must take time to remember and honor the lives lost to war on Memorial Day.

布莱恩·汤普森（Brian Thompson）是2018年的资深领导学者，目前是洛克希德·马丁（Lockheed Martin）的军事和资深计划的经理。