Contributed commentary from Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts at the observance of Memorial Day 2026:
There are so many freedoms that we, as Americans, often take for granted. We assume they will be there for us when we need, or desire to take advantage of them.
But, we must always bear in mind that, they are freedoms that are bought with a price – often with all that our service men and women have to give – their very lives. And that is what makes Memorial Day uniquely important within the year-round calendar of specific patriotic observances. This is a day singularly set aside to remember, and honor, those who have served and given their lives in the line of duty.
Memorial Day always brings back for me the vivid memory of childhood and being in elementary school, and one particular event during that impressionable age.
I am always reminded of the mother and family of a classmate who, one day came to our classroom door, and took my friend out of class for the remainder of the day. We learned later that my friend’s father had been killed in Vietnam. He wasn’t the same after that tragedy. At the time, it registered with me, but it still lingers as a haunting memory of a war that left an indelible imprint on all of us, especially those who lost loved ones.
Down through the centuries, we have seen so many of our Armed Services men and women unselfishly, and willingly, sacrifice their lives in service and combat, so that all of us, as Americans, have the right and opportunity to debate, dissent, and disagree with each other – and do it openly.
Recently we saw the opening of our long-awaited Tennessee Wings of Liberty Historical Museum on Fort Campbell, just in time for Memorial Day, Independence Day, and our nation’s 250th birthday. This impressive, new museum is a heightened treasure, and immediately becomes a signature landmark for our community, and really our entire nation.
A big part of its purpose is to tell the story of soldiers who gave all, for you and me. In fact, every day will be Memorial Day at Wings of Liberty Museum, as it really should be.
Whether you visit the new Wings of Liberty Museum this week, one of our regional cemeteries where our military heroes are laid to rest, or if you are gathered as families and friends in your homes and neighborhoods to begin the summer with all of the memories it brings, take time to enrich your own personal understanding of the sacrifice these great Americans have made.
Read, and learn more about them. Discover what truly makes our nation great, through bravery.
Also, please take time to support the loving survivors of these heroes, many of whom are still among us. With Clarksville being the proud home of Fort Campbell, there are many military survivors in our midst, and they are our families and closest friends. They, too, have made the ultimate sacrifice.
For those who gave all, may we always remember, understand their supreme commitment to our collective cause as Americans, and be profoundly grateful.
Mayor Joe Pitts