No memorial exists today and maybe there won’t ever be one for the more than 1 million people who died from COVID during the pandemic.

The dictionary defines a memorial “as something, especially a structure, established to remind people of an event.” It’s further noted that memorials serve as an ongoing remembrance, not only of that incident in history but also the individuals involved.

In the past we have built memorials to those who fought in wars or armed conflicts or who perished during a momentous or tragic event such as September 11th.

COVID was none of these. The people who died were not soldiers fighting in an armed conflict or victims of a terrorist act. No medals were handed out for heroism and there are no battlefields to visit.

Though COVID was not a real war it felt like one for many and had numerous of the same characteristics. We received daily casualty figures from the front as well as updates on efforts to combat this virus. As this undeclared war raged on, we discovered that a large number of the casualties and deaths were our essential workers. These individuals were on the front lines daily interacting with people and providing critical services for the rest of us. They performed jobs that many did not fully appreciate until the pandemic shed light on them. They were people working in jobs in the health care field, logistics, food distribution, nursing homes, public safety and more.

Our nation’s essential workers did not volunteer for this war against COVID nor did they receive a draft notice. They chose to do their jobs. They recognized the importance of their role during this dark time and accepted the risks that accompanied it. Many viewed it as their duty or doing their small part to combat the pandemic.

The concept of having a COVID memorial is something that may not appeal to a lot of people. For many, the pandemic represented the most difficult time in their lives and one that they wish to forget as if it was a bad nightmare from which they finally awoke. Some lost jobs; others forfeited businesses, homes and more. Of even greater consequence, everyone lost someone to COVID whether it was a family member, friend or neighbor. No house or family was spared. COVID was an equal opportunity virus that attacked people of all ages, races, sex, religions, geographic regions and nationalities.

Further it was a stressful time as people felt isolated and lost touch with others. The isolation created tremendous anxiety and many experienced depression and mental health problems. There was also collateral damage as COVID strained relationships and divided families and friends over masks, business restrictions and vaccination mandates.

Though many may wish to erase this time from our collective memory, it is important that we not toss this experience onto the ash heap of history. History has a way of repeating itself, and it is critical that we remember this time and take the lessons learned from it so as to be better prepared to combat the next virus outbreak.

For those reasons it is important that we construct a memorial to honor those who were lost to COVID and to serve as a remembrance of this difficult period in our history. Further, such a memorial should feature the images of the various essential workers including health-care professionals, truck drivers, police and firemen, grocery workers, postal, sanitation and delivery workers, nursing home assistants and others. In the end these individuals were the real heroes. It was these people, who, despite the risks, woke up each day and went to work in the thick of it to keep the rest of us safe and allowed our country to survive. Hopefully such a memorial would also serve as a constant reminder to all of us and future generations of the value and importance of our essential workers.

Greg Fulton is the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents more than 650 companies directly involved in or affiliated with trucking in Colorado today.

GREG FULTON