Remembering the families of our armed forces

The family is the most essential part of society and everyone comes from one, whether acknowledged or not. The wonderful thing about family is that they never abandon us and as much as we may take solo decisions or have the best or the worst things happen to us in life, our family members are […]

The family is the most essential part of society and everyone comes from one, whether acknowledged or not. The wonderful thing about family is that they never abandon us and as much as we may take solo decisions or have the best or the worst things happen to us in life, our family members are the ones who go through exactly what we do; the joys, the sorrows, the little acts of maturity to mention a few.
Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration, which was marked yesterday, is an event organized by the Ministry of Defence in honour of our fallen heroes who laid down their lives in service to humanity during the First and Second World Wars, the Nigerian Civil War, Peace Support Operations, various Internal Security Operations and particularly the current war against terrorism and other security challenges in the country.
The very first day a soldier or navy man is drafted into the Army, the family may or may not be there to celebrate or be nervous with the newly drafted young man or woman as the case may be, but as time goes on, when various events begin to occur, it gradually affects the family present or the family to come.
Yesterday was the Armed Forces Remembrance Day and many families around the country were confronted with bitter-sweet feelings about their loved ones on two levels; the men and women of the Armed Forces that are dearly departed and those currently fighting in all capacity available to them for the protection and safety of the country’s population.
While it is patriotic to salute the bravery of the Armed Forces people, it also helps to recognise the struggle it takes for families who have to fight every single day of their lives to remain calm and accept whatever news is brought to them concerning the welfare of their loved ones, without allowing the events of fate rob them of their sanity.
The soldiers who are alive today on the other hand, must feel a chill on their spine when confronted with the fact that every day may be their last on this earth, leaving beloved family members behind, including children, too young and innocent to understand why daddy or mummy had to join the Army, Navy or other Internal Security Agencies, too young to grasp the true meaning of patriotism.
As many of us will find difficulty admitting, we still do not recognise patriotism for what it really is and if we do, we would pray and remember to appreciate those who put their lives on the line everyday on dangerous and sometimes uncertain terrain, just to make sure that our homeland remains safe and sovereign, getting maimed and sometimes even making the ultimate sacrifice more often than not.
We would also pray for the families of these brave men and women who allow them the freedom to express their need for expression of patriotism as well as being there for them regardless of how their stories turn out.
Every family deserves to have all their members live good lives, find their place in the world and just be happy. But as it turns out those in the Armed Forces may not get to explore the fullness of that possibility, be that as it may, we salute their families for their own level of courage!
Eremionkhale contributed this piece from Abuja.