Stationed in front of Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kansas, is a battlefield cross. Beneath the statue of a soldier’s helmet, rifle and boots, you will find a quote from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

“I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy,” the passage begins. “I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.”

Five Memorial Days ago, that quote was posted on Facebook by a 23-year-old American soldier serving in Afghanistan. U.S. Army 2^nd Lt. Justin Sisson was killed in action less than a week later.

“It’s a situation we never expected to be in,” 2^nd Lt. Sisson’s mother, Phyllis, recently told The Stream. “I don’t think anyone does.”

I first spoke with Phyllis Sisson in 2014. Four years later, as another Memorial Day approached, the Gold Star mother had a message for Americans about the holiday’s true meaning.

“Sometimes it can be upsetting when people say Memorial Day is the kickoff of summer: picnics and barbeques,” Phyllis said. “It is, but I also want people to understand what this day really means, especially to people like us, who have lost a son.”

Justin, who earned a Bronze Star in Iraq before graduating from Florida State University and being commissioned as a U.S. Army officer, was leading a platoon near Afghanistan’s treacherous border with Pakistan at this time five years ago.

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Justin Sisson.

Alongside 20-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Robert Pierce and ten Afghan schoolchildren, Justin was killed by an enemy improvised explosive device on June 3, 2013.

“Justin was buried on Father’s Day,” Phyllis painfully recounted. “A month later was his birthday, then the holidays, then the next year, and before you know it, it’s one year.

“But nobody tells you about the second, third, and fourth years,” she continued. “It never goes away.”

Run for the Fallen

In the last half-decade, Phyllis and her husband, Kevin, have heard from countless friends and fellow soldiers whose lives were touched by their brave son.

“So many people say what a great guy he was; what a natural-born leader he was,” Phyllis said. “He wasn’t perfect, but we do get this sense of tremendous loss. Not just personally; he had such potential for so many things as a leader.”

At the same time, there is occasional frustration at the public’s disengagement with the war in Afghanistan and the ongoing sacrifices of our nation’s military community.

“I definitely think it’s on the back-burner,” Phyllis said. “Even when Justin was killed, I had people say ‘I didn’t realize we were still over there.’”

The Sissons, who live in Columbus, Ohio, have done everything in their power to keep the selfless spirit Justin embodied in the forefront. The 2LT Justin Sisson Memorial Foundation provides scholarships to ROTC cadets and veterans at Justin’s alma mater, funded largely with proceeds from the annual Justin Sisson Run for the Fallen 5k, which has become a major annual event at Florida State.

“(Justin) left instructions that he wanted to give back to FSU’s ROTC since it meant so much to him,” Phyllis said. “We’ve had so many people participate who’ve served with Justin who are still not only dealing with Justin’s loss, but other losses.”

I asked the Gold Star mother, whose voice was steady as rock despite her grief, how Justin might feel about Afghanistan – now the longest war in American history – had he survived the conflict.

“He wouldn’t have an answer other than ‘we have a job to do,’” Phyllis said. “They don’t do it for the glory, but it definitely takes a toll on our country, on our families and on our soldiers and their families.”

We Can’t Stop Saying Their Names

When giving speeches about Justin and the importance of honoring fallen military heroes, Phyllis often uses these poignant words, which underscore Memorial Day’s solemn purpose.

“A person dies two times,” she said. “The first time is when they take their last breath. The second time is when we stop saying their name.”

On Sunday, June 3, 2018 – the fifth anniversary of Justin’s ultimate sacrifice – the Sissons, family members and friends will gather to say an American hero’s name at a very special place: the battlefield cross outside his high school, which has been dedicated in Justin’s honor.

Family and friends of fallen U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Justin Sisson gather in front of Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kansas, on June 3, 2017.

“We just want to talk about him and all the amazing things he did,” Phyllis said. “He lived for 23 years, and you can’t just walk away from that.”

On Memorial Day weekend and beyond, let it be our mission to make sure America never walks away from its sacred responsibility to remember the valiant men and women who gave all for our freedom. As Phyllis so powerfully expressed, we cannot afford to let our heroes die a second death.

Say their names. Tell their stories. And to honor U.S. Army 2^nd Lt. Justin Sisson and his family, live a “peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy” life.

These plaques appear beneath the battlefield cross dedicated to U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Justin Sisson.

Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of three books about military heroes: Brothers Forever, 8 Seconds of Courage and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo.