Letters Home and Memorial Day Traditions

[00:00:38] It's hard to write a letter like this. There are a million and one things I want to say. There are so many, I ought to say, if this is the last letter that I can ever write to you. I'm telling you that I love you too so very much. Not one better than the other, but absolutely equally. Some things a man can never thank his parents enough for.

[00:01:02] They come to be taken for granted through the years. Care when you are a child and countless favors as he grows up. I'm recalling now all your prayers, your watchfulness, all the sacrifices that were made for me when sacrifice was a real thing and not just a word we used in speeches. I know how you had to do without things to put me through school. You thought I didn't realize these things, but I did.

[00:01:30] As I prepare for this last mission, I'm a bit homesick. I've been at other times when I thought of you, when I lost a friend, when I wondered when and how this war would end. But the whole world is homesick. I've never written like this before, even though I've been through the valley of shadows many times. But this night, mother and dad, you're very close to me. And I long so to talk to you.

[00:01:58] I think of you and of home. America has asked much of our generation. But I'm glad to give her all I have. Because she has given me so much. Good night, dear mother and dad. God love you. Your loving son, bud, Arnold Ray. From Private Arnold Ray to his parents. U.S. Army Air Force England.

[00:02:27] September 1943. World War II. Happy Memorial Day, PBN family. There are some traditions that have been born over the years. Thanks to you guys. A lot. You know, largely. Memorial Day, we don't do a lot. Some people do a lot. My father in all of you law used to do a lot.

[00:02:54] He did ask us every year to go to the Virginia War Memorial. And sometimes we would. And sometimes we were too busy. And, you know, when you really sit down and think about that. But, you know, it makes you feel bad. It makes you feel. It makes you feel bad. You know, when you say like, oh, I'm too busy for those guys that died for my freedom. To go look at a wall.

[00:03:21] And a quick memorial service for them all. You know. And you get down on yourself. But I think what Conrad was doing. Well, first and foremost, he wanted us to come with him. Second of all, he was going no matter what. Because that was the kind of guy that he was. Never in the military, but always in the military. I don't know how to explain it.

[00:03:50] I don't know many men like him. If you met him, if you'd seen his house, if you'd talked to him for 10 minutes. You would have assumed this guy had been in the military for 25 years. Such adoration, you know what I mean? But what he was also doing was his own way of making us feel Memorial Day. One way or the other. You know what I mean? There was no ill intent about it.

[00:04:20] But it was literally one of the only outside of the grill. You know what I mean? Outside of the grill, it was literally one of the only places I ever really saw Memorial Day tradition. Take the day off. Have fun. And you know, there is something to be said about enjoying your life on Memorial Day. I like improvements in life. You know, an improvement in overall quality of life.

[00:04:48] I think is a good idea, a good tradition to set on Memorial Day. Because I think about someone bleeding out in a trench somewhere or, you know, whatever the situation was. However, whatever horrible way it ended. In close quarters combat, hand-to-hand fighting. However, you know. And I think, you know, if they're looking down from heaven. I imagine a part of them wants to say, well, I hope the American people are living good lives.

[00:05:17] In the face of it all. Because of my sacrifice. So, it always feels good to do something. It's not a massive project. But, you know. Sew something up that needs sewing up for a while. Reading out of the book has become a tradition for me every year. And when my kids are old enough, I think they'll read out of that book as well.

[00:05:46] But that book is 50 letters from war. Something along those lines. I don't have it in front of me. I'm about to start running. But it's something along those lines. 50 letters from war. And it's phenomenal. It's a phenomenal book. That little passage right there. Where it just conveys, you know, the whole Memorial Day thing to me. To me, that little passage conveys Memorial Day maybe better than almost anything.

[00:06:15] Because you get Memorial Days about the people who never made it back. And you get a peek inside the mind of someone writing one of those faithful letters. And what that letter looked like when it hit the mailbox of mom and dad. And what they must have felt reading it. And how many letters like that do you get from your child? You know what I mean? So I read from that book every year. Just as a reminder, you know. These are real people.

[00:06:43] These are real people with parents. And, you know, they're not just names on a wall. They're real people with parents and hopes and dreams and the whole thing. The other thing is the Murph. You know, the Murph sucks. It's going to suck today really bad. Because it's rainy and wet. I'm a little late to it. Which means I've got to push it.

[00:07:13] And for those of you who are interested. For those of you who'd like to take on the challenge today. Just on a whim. It's not necessarily a whim thing. I mean, it can be though. You can definitely... Most people listening to my voice could really edge it out. Could knock it out. You know what I mean? You could pull it off. There's no doubt about it. It's tough. But it's something that you could pull off. It'd take time. You know what I mean? It would definitely take you some time. But you could edge it out.

[00:07:43] And the way it works is... You get... You start the day off with a one mile run. Okay? The two runners just came by me. I wonder if they're doing the Murph. But you start the day off with a one mile run. Then once you finish that up. You go into a succession of exercises. 100 pull-ups. 200 push-ups. 300 squats.

[00:08:11] I tend to break them up in super sets. You know? So I'll do my pull-ups. Then I'll do some push-ups. Then I'll do some squats. I forget. Probably sets of 5 on pull-ups. Sets of 10 on... I don't know. I might do sets of 20 on push-ups really. And just knock that out in 10 sets. And then... I don't know. Maybe 50 or something on squat. At the end of the whole thing. You're just sitting there doing two pull-ups at a time. To get to 100.

[00:08:41] And it's a real nightmare. So... That's the deal. That's pretty much the deal. Then you wrap it all up with another mile run at the end. And the Murph is finished. You know? And it's all about Memorial Day. I mean, it's what it is. It's dedicated to people who have lost their lives. It's named after one... I think it was Lieutenant Colonel. For his tremendous and heroic story. I'm not going to tell the whole thing.

[00:09:10] Because I don't have the details in front of me to get it right. But, you know. That's what it is. And it's become tradition. This is my third year doing it, I think. Third... Yeah, third year doing it. It just feels right to me. It just feels right to suffer a little bit. You know what I mean? It's easy, you know. I got a big piece of pork on the smoker. And had a nice breakfast and coffee. And all... You know, the good living part of Memorial Day. I think we got that down pretty good as Americans.

[00:09:40] We can handle that. Coolers full of goodies. Grills full of food. You know, we can get that. So I like to balance that out with a little suffering. What about you guys? Any Memorial Day traditions? It's one of those weird holidays, you know. Definitely feels like... We ought to put a little more thought into it. So... You know, this show is dedicated to those who gave all and never came home.

[00:10:10] And that's fundamentally it, PBN family. I hope you enjoy your Memorial Day. I will most certainly be enjoying mine. I'm literally foot falling over the... The paths that... I'll be running here as soon as I hang up with you. Alright? I'll talk to you guys soon. Appreciate ya.