Last year on this page I wrote an article called Does Memorial Day Still Matter?.

I think it still does and so did many of you.

This year I wanted to add to this and not just ask the question but actually give examples of why it still does. Actually, I wanted to tell you about two people from my hometown that have died in the service of our country.

Mark A. Lange, LT, USN and Army Cpl. Walter B. Howard II.

These two men were both from Fraser, Michigan and killed in combat.

Lt Lange was shot down over Syria on December 4, 1983. That’s right…1983. We were not in a time of war technically but the United States was offering assistance fighting terrorism even back then. Lt. Lange plane was shot down and died in the aftermath.

Army Cpl. Walter B. Howard II was a classmate of mine in High School. I might have met him once or twice but I did not know him at all. He died on Feb 6, 2006, after he sustained injuries in Ashraf, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1 Abrams tank.

One of them. died in an undeclared war over 35 years ago and one died while fighting in the surge in Iraq 12 years ago.

They both are heroes and they are worth remembering along with all of their comrades who have fight for this country all throughout its history.

I hope you do.

My show Bourbon On The Rocks goes over part of their stories and I hope you will take a moment to listen.