By: Jarvis Johnson
As Memorial Day approaches, we take time not just to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation, but to reflect deeply on what their sacrifice means to us—especially in communities that have borne a disproportionate share of the cost of war.
Memorial Day is more than the start of summer or a long weekend. It is a sacred moment to honor those who never made it home, and to recognize that many of those heroes came from underserved neighborhoods, like ours. They were the sons and daughters of working-class families—young people with big dreams, called to serve before those dreams could be ful lled. We especially li up the memory of Black soldiers and veterans whose sacri fices have too often gone unrecognized in our national story. One such hero was Mr. Clarence Sasser.
Born in Chenango, Texas, just outside of Houston, Clarence Sasser grew up on a farm and graduated near the top of his class from Marshall High School in 1965. He enrolled at the University of Houston to study chemistry, but financial hardship forced him to attend part-time— making him eligible for the draft. In 1967, he was dra ed into the U.S. Army and trained as a medical aidman. On January 10, 1968, during a mission in Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam, his unit was ambushed. though severely wounded, Mr. Sasser crawled through open rice paddies under intense enemy re to reach and treat his fellow soldiers. For more than five hours, he tended to the wounded and inspired others to safety—acts of courage and compassion that reflect the highest ideals of military service.
For this bravery, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon in 1969. After the war, Mr. Sasser returned to Texas, studied at Texas A&M University, and later worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2014, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters from Texas A&M. He passed away on May 13, 2024, in Sugar Land, Texas, at age 76. From the United States Colored Troops of the Civil War to the Tuskegee Airmen, and from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, Black service members have defended this country—even when justice was denied to them at home. We owe them more than gratitude—we owe them action. Because Memorial Day is not only a time for remembrance. It is a call to responsibility.
If we are to truly honor the dead, we must upli the living. We must invest in our young people so they are prepared to lead, not just follow. We must care for our veterans with dignity and compassion. And we must work every day to build a nation worthy of their sacri fice—one where opportunity is not de ned by zip code, and freedom is not reserved for a few. They were neighbors and classmates, dreamers and doers. Their lives were cut short by war—but they will never be forgotten.
So let Memorial Day be more than a moment of silence. Let it be a day of reflection, respect—and responsibility. Let us honor their memory by fighting for the future they believed in.
is is how we keep their legacy alive. In memory. In service. In unity.
