BENTON COUNTY — This week, as is always the case, was Memorial Day week. It has been the last Monday of May after an act of Congress in the 1970s moved it from the date of May 30, as was the tradition for nearly 100 years.

For many people, the day has come to mean no more than a three-day weekend, special shopping opportunities or chances to get outside for the first picnic, cookout or outing for the summer season. As far as remembering something, I have discovered that more and more people think that the “memorial” part of Memorial Day is in reference to just about anyone who has passed from this life.

Just to refresh the subject, Memorial Day evolved from what began as “Decoration Day” which began after the Civil War. The first known observation that I could ferret out was began in South Carolina. There was a Confederate prison camp for Union soldiers located there. It seems the Confederates captors buried all the Union prisoners who died in their care (and there was a considerable number of dead) in an unmarked mass grave. Not long after the war, black residents of the area who were freed by the South’s capitulation took the initiative to dig up the dead Union soldiers to give them all proper individual burials.

The former slaves continued to show their gratitude for their freedom by keeping the graveyard maintained and decorating it at the proper times.

Northern states embraced Decoration/Memorial Day from the outset with the Southern states gradually accepting and promoting the commemoration. At first, Memorial Day was meant to honor Civil War dead but eventually the inclusion was made to memorialize all those who gave their lives for their country, no matter the date or the war.

For those who are now wondering how this history lesson got into a sports column, I am coming to that.

Heroes

Just who are our heroes?

How do heroes earn that name or designation?

You could ask a lot of today’s kids who their heroes are and they would probably list rock stars, movie stars and often times they might mention the names of sports “heroes.”

During World War II, sports heroes were often times heroes in the fullest sense of the word. During that world-wide conflict, more than 500 professional baseball players, and over 600 professional football players went to war to defend our country. Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller (Cleveland Indians) enlistedin the Navy two days after Pearl Harbor and spent four years in operating an antiaircraft cannon of the deck of the U.S. Alabama fighting in the south Pacific, earning loads of medals and commendations.

The first Hall of Fame reliever, Hoyt Wilhelm (White Sox) fought in the Battle of the Bulge while Yankee great Yogi Berra was manning naval vessels in the great Dday invasion. Later on in the Korean War, Ted Williams, considered by many as the greatest hitter of all time, was a fighter pilot.

A name you probably never heard of was Al Blozis, who was voted one of the three best American athletes in 1941 while still in college.

He was honored along with professional golfer Ben Hogan, and boxing legend Joe Louis. He was considered the best shot putter and discus thrower in the world and signed a professional football contract upon graduating from college. Because he was such a physically huge guy, the military advised him they could not use him because of his size. Even though he had fortune in professional sports awaiting him, and even though he was passed over from inclusion into the armed forces, Blozis pressed his case and was eventually allowed into the Army. He was killed in the Battle of the Bulge just two months after playing his last professional game.

More recently, Pat Tillman turned down a multi-million dollar contract to continue playing for the Arizona Cardinals football team so he could join the military and fight for the U.S. in Afghanistan. He did this in response to the 9/11 attacks on this country. He was killed while serving there, the ultimate sacrifice for anyone who loves his country.

While I have had several relatives fight in assorted wars, I have none that were killed in the process as far as I know. Without the heroes who have fought and died for this country, we couldn’t enjoy the way of life we do and the freedom it engenders. Americans for the most part have always had the opportunity to pursue whatever life they wanted.

Real heroes just do the right thing.

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John McGee is the art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, coaches elementary track and writes a regular sports column for The TIMES. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].

Sports, Pages 8 on 06/02/2010