A generation or two ago, Memorial Day was a special day full of parades and pageantry to remember those who fell in defense of our great nation. Today, the true spirit of Memorial Day is often forgotten amid the start of the summer season, bar-b-ques, department store sales and just a much needed day off from work.
Those who fought for our country deserve our respect and thanks. Those who gave their lives even more so. It is the ultimate sacrifice for one's country and it helped us to maintain our freedom and independence. From the Minutemen in the Revolutionary War to the GI's of World War II and those fighting in both Gulf Wars and every fight in between, soldiers made sacrifices that they had to make, leaving their jobs, families and the day-to-day world behind and putting their lives on the line. For that, they should be remembered and appreciated.
That does not mean that the wars these soldiers were sent to fight in were always just wars or the right choices. Millions of Americans who love their country had legitimate questions about our involvement in Vietnam and in the present war in Iraq, for example. While the decisions of politicians and generals may have been questionable at times in our history, that does not diminish the sacrifice of our soldiers and the hardship they faced at Bunker Hill, Gettysburgh, Bellea Wood, Iwo Jima, Inchon, Na Trang, Baghdad and so many other places long forgotten by those who were not there or are too young to remember.
Today, speaking at Arlington National Cemetary, President Bush told the crowd, 'We resolve that their sacrifice will always be remembered by a grateful nation...'Every year on this day, we pause to remember Americans who have fallen by placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns,' said Bush. 'The names of the men buried there are known only to God, but their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten by our nation.'
The president then briefly stepped into partisan territory, adding that 'We must honor their sacrifice by defeating the terrorists, advancing the cause of liberty' in an attempt to gain support for an increasingly unpopular war in Iraq. The appreciation of the sacrifice of soldiers should not be compared with loyal opposition to the policies of politicians who get us involved in wars that are ill advised and/or poorly executed.
Still, Americans of all political persuasions, regions, faiths and races can and should take the time to remember the sacrifices of our troops. They gave their lives for our country. That is a sacrifice that should be remembered as long as the stars and stripes fly and as long as America continues to be a free nation.
