Faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor, a legacy of valor Published April 25, 2014 By Tech. Sgt. Chad Johnson Airman Leadership School instructor F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Every May, we, as a country, take time to reflect on the service of the men and women of the past. We remember their honor, their valor, their courage, and their sacrifice. The Airman's Creed states: "I am faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor, and a legacy of valor." We recognize the legacy and heritage that was left for us. We dwell on the freedoms that 300 million people enjoy because of them. Memorial Day is a perfect time for us as service men and women to take stock of our own lives and our service. How are we being faithful to that legacy and that heritage? According to Merriam-Webster.com, to be faithful means "having or showing true and constant support or loyalty; deserving trust; keeping your promises or doing what you are supposed to do." So how do we show our true and constant support and loyalty? Do we deserve the trust our predecessors and fellow American's have in us? Do we keep our promises? And do what we are supposed to do? The way we demonstrate our faithfulness to the legacy and heritage left to us is through our actions. All around us we see evidence of fellow service men and women who have forgotten who they are. They have forgotten what they signed up for. These individuals placed the name on the right side of the uniform before the name on the left. They disregard our heritage; thus dishonoring those who left us the legacy of freedom, honor, and valor. For more than 200 years, men and women have been achieving, supporting, and protecting freedom, not just for one, but for all. Loyal to one another for one common cause: freedom. The way we are faithful to those who came before is ensuring that freedom remains for future generations. We must be faithful to one another to continue sounding freedom's ring. Now is the time to re-dedicate ourselves to the idea of freedom, to salute the Stars-and-Stripes, to shed a tear at the playing of the National Anthem, to recognize that we serve for the name tape on the left side of the uniform and not the one on the right, to achieve freedom for those who have not yet achieved it; to support those who enjoy its benefits; and to protect it "from all enemies foreign and domestic." We represent the finest that our country has to offer. We represent the millions who have served freedom before us. We must remain faithful to the heritage of freedom, honor, and valor which was left for us as the example to follow. On this Memorial Day, remember those who came before; what they fought and died for. Are we willing to do the same? Are you truly "faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor, and a legacy of valor?" If you can answer yes, then you are an American Airman.