Soldiers are the reason for American’s freedom
It’s been said it’s not reporters who protect our freedom of the press in America. It’s the U.S. soldier.
It’s not preachers who maintain our freedom of religion. It’s the U.S. soldier.
And it’s not lawyers who preserve the integrity of our judicial system. It’s the U.S. soldier.
That’s because without soldiers to protect our great country, there would be no country. Without a powerful military willing to fight and protect our borders, America would have certainly been conquered many years ago.
The vast freedoms were enjoy in this land of democracy have cost many fine soldiers their lives. It has cost many parents their sons, and some parents their daughters. It has cost many children their fathers.
Throughout our history, the rights and liberties guaranteed by our U.S. Constitution and cherished by our nation have been paid for at a substantial price – Americans willing to sacrifice their lives to ensure our continued freedom.
Tomorrow, on Memorial Day, it is with the utmost respect and dignity we pay tribute to those who have given their lives to protect the United States.
Many men and women – most just beginning their lives – died so our nation could maintain freedom. Old Glory does not wave by accident. It flies thanks to the selfless acts of those who died in a sudden blast, and those who died as prisoners of war.
There have been mothers’ tears shed, enough to fill an ocean. Sweethearts with broken hearts have read telegrams about a boyfriend who will never return home. Sons and daughters, many unborn, wakening at birth to a devastated family mourning the loss of a war victim.
After decades of relative peace, our country is suffering those hardships yet again. The latest casualty list furnished by the military indicates over 800 Americans have died in Iraq, with more soldiers dying each and every week.
The United States is engulfed in another difficult war. The war becomes more and more difficult as the casualties increase, as more courageous men and women make the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
These unfortunate deaths only serve to bring the significance of Memorial Day into perspective for so many young Americans. Many of our citizens have never known a person who has died in service. Most of our children, teenagers and young adults are just now beginning to understand how it feels to have their friends and neighbors slaughtered by war.
That’s why Memorial Day can be such an emotional time. It’s a reminder the marvelous liberties we enjoy today didn’t come without circumstance, without blood, without death.
In the words of President John F. Kennedy, “A nation reveals itself not only by the citizens it produces, but also by the citizens it honors, the citizens it remembers.”
Our nation needs to halt our fast-paced lives long enough to pay tribute to the heroes of this country. We have not come so far with our computers and cell phones to not care about our heroes. They still deserve our respect.
Remembrance is a simple task. We cannot turn our backs on these bygone soldiers.
Memorial Day offers us this opportunity. It’s the opportunity to pay our respects and the opportunity to educate our young ones about the meaning of sacrifice and all that’s been given to preserve this great nation.