I hope that everyone is enjoying a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Something tells me that most of you may have fired up a grill at some point over these past three days…

I want to take this moment to thank all of our Y volunteers, associates and supporters who have served our country.  We too often take our liberty for granted, but it has to be protected to be sustained.  Sometimes that means American citizens going to far-off places and paying the ultimate sacrifice for our collective opportunity to live in a country engaged in the longest-running experiment in democracy.  My late father, who served in the Army at the end of WWII, and who saw up close the aftermath of the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, often remarked how those who haven’t served, and are without an understanding of war’s toll, are frequently the first to suggest the need to rush to war.  Sometimes war is necessary, but the words of Franklin Roosevelt are always important to remember:

“I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men coughing out their gassed lungs. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen 200 limping, exhausted men come out of line—the survivors of a regiment of 1,000 that went forward 48 hours before. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war.”

Those who have served, and I am not one of them, are the ones who understand those words in a personal way.  So, today, we honor and thank everyone who protects us and allows us to live our lives with a sense of purpose and compassion.

All the best,

John

John K. Hoey

CEO & President
The Y in Central Maryland