TO THE FALLEN: HONORING THOSE WHO GAVE EVERYTHING
This isn’t just a long weekend. It’s a debt we can never fully repay — and a day we should never stop taking seriously.
Let me be honest with you. I don’t have the guts they had. Not even close. The men and women of the United States Armed Forces who put on that uniform, shipped out to places most of us will only ever see on a map, and never made it home — they possessed a kind of courage I can only try to understand from a distance. And on Memorial Day, that’s exactly what we owe them: our full, undivided attention. Not just a passing thought between the potato salad and the first dip in the pool — but a genuine, deep moment of gratitude and grief for what they gave up.
Because of their sacrifice — and the sacrifice of every Gold Star family who sent a son, a daughter, a mother, a father, a husband, or a wife to serve — I get to raise my kids in the greatest country in the world. The land of the free. The home of the brave. Those words mean something. They cost something. And every one of those fallen heroes paid that price in full.
“They didn’t just die for a flag. They died for every one of us — and for children they would never meet.”
To every Gold Star family reading this: thank you. I know “thank you” will never be enough. Your loss is permanent. Your grief is real. But your loved one’s memory lives on in the freedom the rest of us wake up to every single morning — freedom most of us never think twice about. We should. We will. Today especially.
NATIONAL MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE
At 3:00 p.m. local time today, stop whatever you’re doing. Put down your drink. Step away from the grill. Take one minute of silence for the fallen. Every American who gave their life in service to this nation deserves at least that much from us.
FOR THE FITNESS COMMUNITY: THE MURPH
If you’re a fitness junkie, there’s no better way to honor the day than stepping up to one of the most iconic CrossFit Hero Workouts ever programmed — The Murph.
It is named in honor of U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. “Murph” Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005, during Operation Red Wings. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor — the nation’s highest military decoration. What was once called “Body Armor” was renamed “Murph” in his memory after he was gone.
The Workout — For Time: (Wear a 20 lb / 9 kg weighted vest or body armor if possible)
- 1-Mile Run
- 100 Pull-Ups
- 200 Push-Ups
- 300 Air Squats
- 1-Mile Run
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats however you like. Popular breakdowns: rounds of 20-10-30, or Cindy-style sets of 5 pull-ups / 10 push-ups / 15 squats until complete.
Scale as needed: Bands for pull-ups, knee push-ups, reduced reps, no vest — there is no shame in scaling. Completing the Murph at any level is a tribute worth making.
It is a brutal test of strength, endurance, and mental toughness — exactly the kind of challenge that embodies the grit Lieutenant Murphy and every service member like him carried every single day they wore the uniform. If you do it, dedicate every single rep.
“Every pull-up, every push-up, every squat — dedicate it. They did far harder things for far higher stakes.”
HAVE A SAFE MEMORIAL DAY
However you choose to spend today — at a cookout, at the beach, at the gym, or quietly at home — I hope it’s a good one. You’ve earned it, in part because they gave everything so you could have it. Enjoy every moment. Hug your people a little tighter. And at 3:00 p.m., stop and remember.
To our fallen heroes: your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Not today. Not ever.
Happy Memorial Day. Be safe out there. 🇺🇸
— Baynesworld
