Memorial Day was created to honor those veterans who have given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their country. With war casualties growing in Iraq and Afghanistan, Memorial Day takes on greater urgency. But, as poet and writer Joe Pacheco reminds us, the death of a loved one in wartime does not have to be recent, to be remembered. This year marks the 65th Anniversary of the passing of his brother Pedrito during World War II. Joseph Pacheco is a former New York City school superintendent. He’s now retired and lives on Sanibel Island in South Florida.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

 Email This