Memorial Day will always mean more to our family than cookouts or a long weekend.
It’s the sound of boots on concrete.
The weight of a folded flag in shaking hands.
Three children growing up with memories instead of a father.
A headstone in Section 60 with a date that changed the course of all our lives forever.
SSG Alan W. Shaw, was killed in Iraq on February 9, 2007. He was 31 years old. He didn’t get the chance to come home, grow old, meet grandchildren, or live the quiet life so many of us take for granted.
That’s what Memorial Day means to us.
It’s not abstract. It’s not political. It’s personal.
But over the years, I’ve also realized something else. The men we honor today did not give everything so America would sit in mourning forever. They believed in life. In freedom. In family. In backyard barbecues, ballgames, loud laughter, and the simple privilege of being home.
So yes, remember them. Speak their names. Teach your children who they were. Fly the flag. Visit the cemetery.
And then live.
Live in a way worthy of what they gave up for the rest of us. Because they are never truly gone as long as somebody is still speaking about them. 🇺🇸
. @SecWar@PeteHegseth and family honored Staff Sgt. James M. Malachowski, Staff Sgt. Alan W. Shaw and other warfighters in section 60 @ArlingtonNatl this afternoon.
We will never forget our fallen.
We will strive to live worthy of their sacrifice.
May our Father in Heaven bless our fallen warriors on their eternal watch.
Last night, I made a simple request on X. I asked if anybody visiting Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day would stop by Alan’s grave and leave a photo for our family.
What happened next honestly caught me off guard.
By this afternoon, dozens of Americans from all walks of life had made the walk to Section 60 to visit SSG Alan W. Shaw. Veterans. Families. Complete strangers. People who had never met Alan, but chose to honor him anyway.
For one day on social media, people put aside the constant noise and negativity and came together for something bigger than themselves. My notifications filled with photos, kind messages, prayers, and stories from people honoring not just Alan, but so many of our fallen heroes.
I don’t think people fully understand what moments like this mean to Gold Star families. The fear is never just losing them. It’s losing them slowly over time as the world moves on and fewer people remember their name.
But today showed me that Alan will never be forgotten.
After years of watching social media reward some of the worst parts of humanity, today gave me a reminder that the good is still out there too.
Thank you to every single person who stopped by to visit Alan today, said his name, shared his story, or took a moment to honor the fallen.
This right here is the America Alan knew and loved enough to fight and die for.
And today, y’all showed us all that it’s still here and it’s still worth fighting for. 🇺🇸
SSG Alan Shaw enlisted as a Marine, and returned to service in the Army. He was killed in Iraq on February 9 during combat operations, earning the Bronze Star. Thank you @Johnny_Joey for sharing so many could visit today, and read more about him here - https://t.co/WOk2QbqXme
🚨BREAKING:🚨REPUBLICAN SENATORS ACCUSE THUNE OF "INTENTIONALLY BLOCKING" SAVE AMERICA ACT FROM BEING PASSED IN ORDER TO HELP DEMOCRAT BUDDIES IN UPCOMING MIDTERMS - Republican supporters of President Trump in The US Senate are alleging that TRUMP HATING RINO Senate Majority Leader John Thune is using his powerful position and influence to UNDERMINE AND INTENTIONALLY PREVENT The Save America Act, which is intended to safeguard November's midterms as well as all future American elections, from being passed. Irate colleagues say that Thune is AT DEMOCRAT SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER'S BECK AND CALL and is SABOTAGING this landmark legislation from being passed by rallying fellow NEVER TRUMP RINOS in The Senate to commit to not even bringing the bill up for a vote. He is apparently doing this in order to assist Schumer and his Democrat overlords in taking back both chambers of Congress in the looming midterms by way of A RIGGED ELECTION THROUGH WIDESPREAD VOTER FRAUD, which The Save America Act would prevent, so that Thune and his fellow RINOs and Democrats can immediately IMPEACH AND REMOVE President Trump from office should they take back power and have the votes. What are YOUR THOUGHTS on this BOMBSHELL EXCLUSIVE... Do YOU believe these MAGA Republican Senators that Thune is trying to BLOW UP The Save America Act on purpose and do YOU agree that it is LONG PAST TIME for this RINO TURNCOAT to be REMOVED AND REPLACED as Senate Majority Leader?
It’s 1:15 in the morning, but @timburchett and I are still fighting to protect your privacy from government surveillance. It’s time to end Flock Cameras’ massive overreach of tracking citizens license plates! The 4th Amendment has to be protected
🚨 NOW: Rep. Tim Burchett just angrily STORMED OUT of a committee meeting saying a backroom deal was cut to let Democrats control what they do!
"We're going to BLOW IT because we're not acting like we're in the majority! [We] allow the Democrats to tell us what to do. It's just UNBELIEVABLE!"
"At some point we're going to have to give some guts. This town is crooked as a dog's leg and I'm disgusted."
"Had some amendments that were cutting regulation things that we should, as Republicans, do. Because of backroom deals they cut, they won't allow any amendments on the bill because the Democrats didn't agree to it! So here we are in the majority and we're not allowed to do that!"
"And I guarantee you when the Democrats are in the majority, which they very much could be because of this kind of garbage — [they won't do this]."
"I want to FIGHT." 🔥
🚨 JUST IN: San Diego Police are FLAT OUT REFUSING to name yesterday's mosque shooters
Why, you ask?
BECAUSE IT WAS A TRANS COUPLE.
California leftists are ACTIVELY COVERING UP trans vioIence.
Elon Musk has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for protecting Free Speech.
Simple poll. Please be honest! As of today, how much do you still trust this man?
A. 100 % B. 75%
C. 50% D. 25%
E. 0%
🚨 BREAKING: The mastermind behind the Feeding Our Future fraud scam in Minnesota has just been sentenced to 41.5 YEARS in prison
Holy CRAP!
Aimee Bock orchestrated the $250 MILLION scam during COVID, billing taxpayers for fake meals for children.
She deserves every single day of this sentence!
MORE OF THIS! 🔥