This Memorial Day, Monday, May 29th in the US, I ask you to keep in mind those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and for those in any free country in the world. Memorial Day is a stark reminder, especially with the current war in Ukraine, that the cost of freedom is high and that in many areas of the world, the fight continues.
We are fortunate in the US to have a rich history of women and men in our armed forces being ever ready to respond when called. Through the years, since the beginning of our great country, brave Americans have continued to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedoms. And when the moment required it, many gave their lives so that others could remain free. One of our founders, Charles Day, lost his brother in World War I, along with many other families impacted by times of war and conflict.
While many of these events are memorialized in books and in movies, and with weekend parades, we can never know the individual sacrifices, large and small that our American service personal made through the years. What we do have is a rich, proud legacy of those willing to serve and those willing to sacrifice for their country. The best we can do is to thank them and remember them.
As you celebrate this Memorial Day, I hope that between the parades and the day off for many, that you take a moment to remember those in your community or in your family or the families of your co-workers, who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice.
Hal Yoh is chair and chief executive officer of Day & Zimmermann, a leader in construction & engineering, staffing and defense solutions for leading corporations and government agencies around the world. He is the third generation of the Yoh family to lead Day & Zimmermann—a family-owned business and former recipient of the U.S. National Family Business of the Year award. As chairman and chief executive officer since 1999, Hal has helped shape the strategic growth that the company has achieved over the last few decades.