130 Warren Countians paid ultimate price

From the shores of France on D-day to the shores of the Tigress River in Iraq, the ultimate sacrifice has been made by brave Americans through the history of this great country, a sacrifice that continues today as soldiers throw themselves in harm’s way all in the name of freedom. On Memorial Day we pause to remember these brave souls, many who were born and raised in Warren County yet laid their lives down foreign shores to ensure the American way of life can continue. In all, 130 Warren countians have made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Their names will be read aloud at Warren County Memorial Airport, named in their honor, Monday morning as a symbol of remembrance and honor of their noble sacrifice. ‘We have a responsibility to teach our youth,’ said Sgt. Timothy Howard last year during his keynote speech at the airport memorial services. ‘We need to teach them to remember and to realize that nothing comes without a cost and that this is a home worth dying for.’ It is the memory that is most sacred during this Memorial Day as we must make sure never to forget the sacrifice those before us have made so that we can enjoy freedoms which much of the rest of the world can only long for. The experiment which began over two centuries ago as the dream of American colonists who wished to have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is only still alive because of brave men and women who were ready to lay down their lives in defense of their beliefs. And, it is not only the soldiers who have sacrificed, but also the families of those who have served. With each letter of condolence sent to homes across American, there are mothers, fathers, wives, siblings and children who are left to mourn their loved ones while also holding them in honor that they have sacrificed all for their country. ‘They are also deserving of our praise and we should give the families of our fallen soldiers thought on this day,’ Sgt. Howard said during his address to the over 200 present at last year’s observance. Therefore, it is important we remember and honor their sacrifice and the sacrifices of their families this and every Memorial Day so that their gift to the American way of life lives on through the generations. We must also remember the oft quoted adage this Memorial Day that ‘freedom isn’t free,’ as those on the Memorial list to be read tomorrow and their families can attest.