His eyeglasses came from TSO. He owned no high heels. He never played the piano.

But his name was cool: Elton John (Fischer). My grandpa.

Drove a Lone Star Beer truck for 30 years. Ran 20 head of cattle on his 50 acres. Card-carrying member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Temple, Texas. Head usher extraordinaire.

Served in WWII on a destroyer in the Pacific that was struck by a torpedo that didn’t detonate. Returned home to a wife and 3 kids under 6.

My grandma told of her and the kids riding the train from central Texas to California to say goodbye as he shipped out.

Hard to imagine going to war leaving wife and kids wondering if you’ll see them again. Hard to imagine packing daughter and sons back on the train wondering if you’ll see him again.

Memorial day is about remembering those who died while serving in the U.S. military. People who lived for a cause beyond themselves.

You were their cause. They were your sacrifice. Freedom and selfless were their middle names.

Who deserves your memory on this Memorial Day? Who fought for you, bled for you, died for you?

Christians hear “memorial” and readily answer “Jesus.” Which they should. “Remember me” carries us back to an upper room dinner before a gruesome sacrifice where we were His cause.

But on this day remember also those men and women whose cause allows you to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

No relatives in my family lost their life serving their country. But four have served. So today I remember my brother Mickey Woolsey, my uncle Eugene Fischer, my father-in-law Tim Tognetty, and my grandpa The Elton John (Fischer).

Thank you, Jesus, for the men and women who answered the call and gave their all. For me.