Memorial Day: Let's Not Forget

It seems it was only yesterday that many of us throughout the boards of Fishing Buddy Outdoors (FBO) and other affiliates of the Total Outdoor Network were talking about late ice walleyes and early spring pike. Now, I'm writing today to wish you all a happy and safe Memorial Day! Where does the time go?

It's been my pleasure in meeting several of you or at least interacting with you in some way since I was given the opportunity to work more closely with FBO. I appreciate all the kind words and the AWESOME cooperation you have all shown throughout the sites. In addition to extending my gratitude to all of you I'd like to concentrate on the story below:

A couple weeks ago I was in Bismarck visiting my girlfriend’s dad. It so happened that the same weekend one of Dani's relatives was returning home from Iraq. Like many others, I've been through a few of the returns and each I've seen has been filled with tears of happiness and many hugs. I wasn't able to attend Scott's return but Dani's mom Arlene was; she witnessed the same observations.

Of course, I sent my best wishes to Scott through Dani's mom escaping the tears and hugs (for some reason I'm getting a little "soft" in my older age). Later that afternoon, however, Arlene shared stories like how Scott's son Logan followed him around like a gun shy puppy. Dani and I both giggled at the picture we had in our heads of Logan clinging to his dad but it wasn't until what Dani's mom told me next that jerked a teary reaction.

Arlene went on to explain that Scott had his own thanks to extend to me. He wanted to let me know that he appreciated everything I did with the site. I'll be straight-forward that I do not take to compliments well especially when I know I can always do more and that I’m not really the person to be receiving the gratitude.  But as Arlene continued to explain Scott took every second he could to look at photos, read people's outdoor stories among other things to keep his mind where it needed to be during his stay in Iraq I began to feel a sense of accomplishment.  I'll admit it, after what I just heard I hid my tears from Dani and Arlene but if someone was down stairs in the corner they would have caught me wiping tears away. I mean, an outdoor website comforts our fellow American soldiers afar and a shore? That really hit me where it mattered.

This is why I wanted your attention. It isn't me or the folks that make this site available to online viewers that deserve thanks. It's the fine men, women and young outdoorsmen / women who view this site that deserve the thanks. It's your stories, it's your photos, it's your interaction and it's your love for the outdoors and the state of North Dakota that made many far from home feel comfort they at times desperately needed.

A question we should ask ourselves is if a North Dakota soldier in Iraq is thanking all of us sharing our stories on an outdoor website, are we showing our thanks to that North Dakotan soldier? Or for that matter, is our country doing what they can to show their thanks? All I can do is try my best to extend gratitude on behalf of FBO and that’s what I hope to accomplish with my writing you are reading today. Memorial Day is reserved for remembering those that we have, or had in our lives, but let us not forget how the United States of America was formed. It has taken generations upon generations of support and defense and for that we must never forget our troops who have fallen, served, or are still serving.

With that said, a thank you to all and I hope you’ll get the opportunity to enjoy the upcoming holiday. It's one I take pride in enjoying since it honors our great country's men and women including those we have lost. Whatever you may have planned with family or friends this weekend please pause for a moment of silence for our fine young men and women who have or still are defending what we call freedom.

And Scott, if you are reading this, thank you for re-motivating me. Sometimes a person doesn't realize how important the simplest things are...

God Bless and have a great Memorial Day weekend all!

- Tim Sandstrom