This Day Isn’t About Cookouts — It’s About the Ones Who Never Came Home
Memorial Day often gets misunderstood. Some see it as the unofficial start of summer. Others thank Veterans for their service, not realizing that this isn’t their day.
We want to gently but firmly remind America of the truth: Memorial Day is a day of mourning. It’s the one day set aside solely to Honor and remember our Fallen Heroes, those who died in service to our country.
It is not a celebration.
It is a moment of national reflection.
The Real Meaning Behind Memorial Day
The origin of Memorial Day traces back to the aftermath of the Civil War, a time when communities began placing flowers and flags on the graves of fallen soldiers. What began as Decoration Day became Memorial Day - officially recognized as a federal holiday in 1971, held on the last Monday of May.
But the meaning has remained the same: to remember those who gave everything.
This isn’t for those who made it home, that’s what Veterans Day is for. Memorial Day is for the brothers and sisters who never got to take off their boots for the last time. For the children who never got a proper goodbye. For the families who received a folded flag and a silence that never left.
As a nation, we owe it to our Fallen to know the difference and to speak their names.
MAJ Charles E. Teffeteller, 42, U.S. Army, born August 15, 1981, passed away from health complications on November 16, 2023. Teffeteller was a Chaplain with 101st Airborne Division and 20th Special Forces Group Support Battalion. He deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve, helping eliminate Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS forces in the Middle East. Teffeteller was a man of the cloth and a man of the people who was always there to help a person in need. For his service, he earned the Bronze Star. Rest easy, Hero! Til Valhalla, Brother!
What Til Valhalla Project Is Doing to Keep Their Legacy Alive
At Til Valhalla Project, we don’t just observe Memorial Day once a year, we live it, every single day.
We deliver surprise memorial plaques to the families of our nation’s Fallen Heroes, many of whom feel their loved one’s story has been forgotten. We serve these families not because we have to, but because we believe no Hero should ever be forgotten, and no family should carry their grief alone.
We also work to reduce Veteran suicide, because sometimes the war doesn’t end when our Heroes come home. Our mission is built on remembrance, connection, and action.
So this Memorial Day, we ask our community to join us in Honoring the Fallen the right way:
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Visit a grave.
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Read the names on a memorial wall.
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Share the story of a Hero who laid down their life.
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Embrace a family and say, “I remember.”
Let this day be about them.
Because they gave up every other day for us.
One Name. One Story. One Day That Must Never Be Forgotten.
Memorial Day is not about the numbers lost. It’s about names, the legacies. It’s about the individual lives behind the uniforms, the stories that ended too soon, and the Families who live every day with the weight of that sacrifice. It’s about the empty chairs at dinner tables, the echoes of voices no longer heard, and the memories that live on in the hearts of those left behind.
This isn’t just a day off, it’s a sacred reminder of what freedom truly costs. That cost was paid in full by someone’s child, sibling, spouse, or best friend. And while we may never fully understand the depth of that loss, we can choose to Honor it by remembering.
So today, we ask you to remember one name. Read their story. Let their memory sit with you, even if just for a moment. Because when we remember even one, we uphold the legacy of all. That is what Memorial Day demands of us, not celebration, but remembrance.
Our Mission
Our mission is to Honor Fallen Military and First Responders by surprise-delivering memorials to their families, funded by apparel that motivates, pays tribute, and raises awareness, all while actively donating to reduce Veteran suicide.
