Dear Marietta College family:
We are all busy people. Every day. It will be the same on Memorial Day, which we will celebrate on Monday, May 28th. This is a day that we should slow down, even if just for a few minutes.
Take a moment to contemplate, and consider the ultimate sacrifice that more than 1 million American men and women gave to our great country serving in the military. It is a humbling reminder of the steep price we have paid for our freedom.
I am reminded of it every day as I walk on the beautiful brick path known as The Christy Mall, which was dedicated to the memory of Air Force 1st Lt. Richard N. Christy II, who died while serving in Vietnam.
I was also humbled by the sacrifice of this community the first time Judy and I visited Mound Cemetery, which is just a few blocks from the President’s House. The number of veterans who are buried there left us awestruck.
On Memorial Day, Judy and I will once again take a moment to pay our respects to all of the valiant American service men and women who gave their lives in defense of our nation. We will also carve out a little extra time to acknowledge the many Marietta College students, alumni, faculty and staff who also lost their lives servicing the U.S. from the Civil War to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
No matter where you are on Memorial Day, please pause and pay tribute to all of the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who died in the service of our country, and whose sacrifice protected our freedoms as Americans.
Sincerely,
Bill Ruud
President and Professor of Management
Marietta College