Every day

Image courtesy: Lance Cpl. Dwight Henderson

On March 22 in Afghanistan's Helmand province, a group of Marines gathered, paused, and lowered their heads in silence. Standing in perhaps the most dangerous region on the planet, the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment would not be deterred from honoring five fallen heroes: Pfc. Jason Estopinal, Gunnery Sgt. Chris Eckard, Lance Cpl. Adam Peak, Lance Cpl. Eric Ward, and Lance Cpl. Garrett Gamble.

"I want [Eckard's] boys to know that he is a true American hero, as are Pfc. Estopinal, Lance Cpl. Peak, Lance Cpl. Ward, and Lance Cpl. Gamble," said Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Thibault Jr., an explosive ordinance technician attached to 2/2. "Let's keep their memories alive by continuing to close with and destroy the enemy and believing in our mission."

The Unknown Soldiers profiled these five Marines shortly after their tragic deaths, and you can learn more about each volunteer warrior by simply clicking on their names above. For all five grieving families, Memorial Day will be especially painful, as all would give anything for a few more precious moments with their departed loved ones.

For Eunice Eckard, every day since February 20 has been Memorial Day. Her son, Chris, completed four tours of duty in Iraq before his deployment to Afghanistan, which he had already told her would be his last overseas. But the 30-year-old Marine, who performed the dangerous duty of disarming bombs, was not predicting his own death. He wanted to come home to North Carolina and spend more time with his wife and two kids. Eckard's mother tells The Charlotte Observer that while thinking about Chris this weekend, her thoughts are also with the thousands of military families making sacrifices in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world.

"I had never personally known or lost anyone in battle, until now," Eckard said. "So I will look at Memorial Day differently from now on. They keep sending our kids over there and people are not paying attention. It's not headline news anymore.

"I will think about my son. But I will also think about all the others still over there - and hope they all get back in one piece."

Mrs. Eckard is absolutely right that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are no longer a focal point for the American media. While working inside CNN and other newsrooms, I was always confused around Memorial Day, when some of the best reporting on the personal stories of our men and women in uniform would finally get extensive airtime. Why isn't every fallen servicemember significant to national newsrooms, instead of when journalists need to find a personal story to fit in with annual Memorial Day coverage?

Media coverage of the war in Afghanistan has been at higher levels this week, due to the 1,000th U.S. combat death and the holiday weekend. But the real test, which the national press has failed repeatedly in recent years, will be administered in the weeks to come. Barring events that ratings-driven news executives deem "major," war coverage will once again largely vanish from airwaves, newspapers, and news sites in the days ahead. To me, that is a tragic indictment of the once-proud journalism profession.

Of course, remembering Gunnery Sgt. Eckard and his fallen comrades is much more important than taking the national media to task. David Perlmutt reminds us that the Marine disarmed hundreds of improvised explosive devices, which could have killed or maimed thousands of Americans, Iraqis, and Afghans. The young North Carolinian, who wanted to serve his country since childhood, grew into a man who saved countless lives. As older brother Chad Eckard appropriately conveys, that kind of heroism is unforgettable.

"Now it's not just a paid holiday. I've never tried to observe Memorial Day for what it is. But when you lose someone you were so close to, it makes it a more meaningful day. But honestly, every day is Memorial Day to our family."

Chad will join his mother at Gunnery Sgt. Chris Eckard's grave on Monday. While we cannot and should not be able to hear what is said during this personal and private visit, let's spend the next year making sure the Eckard family can hear us. Taking each day to honor the men and women who risk everything for our freedom translates into a resounding "thank you" to the country's Gold Star families. A nation cannot remember its heroes if it fails to notice.