Scott Smith is the head of the Texas Bombers organization which has over 500 players in Texas, Louisiana and Arizona. A lifelong member of the Army, he started the “4 Fallen” program which we deemed as the No. 1 Story of 2014.”

We first profiled this wonderful program – where Bombers’ players wear jerseys with the name of soldiers killed in combat –Memorial Day week last year in an article called “Texas Bombers honor fallen soldier.”

Here are Scott’s thoughts on Memorial Day in light of his service in the military…

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Like many people when I was younger Memorial Day just meant a day off from school at the beginning of summer.

But as I have gotten older and certainly since I have spent the last 24 years serving in the U.S. Army, it certainly has taken on another meaning for me.

I often catch myself wondering how much of our society remembers that we still have soldiers in harm’s way being engaged by the enemy at close quarters and, in some cases, will never come home!

The amount of history that our country has in men and women sacrificing their lives in defense of our country is amazing and I never get enough of listening to the stories from the old timers as they speak about World War II, Vietnam and other wars they’ve served in.

It won’t be long before those amazing patriots will no longer be here to tell us those stories any longer.

So Memorial Day is special to me in the sense that on this day the majority of American people stop to pause and, at least for a minute, remember that all of the luxuries and freedoms that exist today came at a price from someone willing to pay it for all of us!

There is no greater honor to me than that of a person who will risk his or her life in defense of our great country.

I hope everyone out there has an amazing Memorial Day and does take the time to remember, because those heroes should never be forgotten!