If you have a US flag, please fly it at half-staff tomorrow until Noon.
Here's a missive from a good friend of mine that is worth reading, in my humble opinion.
Remember the “Ones”
It’s an unfortunate truth that the sacrifices of our military tend to fade in our collective memory. Most in America’s younger generations have neither knowledge, nor appreciation of the unthinkable amount of blood shed that they might live in the country that they know.
The statistics are often cold and unmoving. They tell us that over 405,000 Americans died in WWII; in Viet Nam, more than 58,000. Subsequent wars have claimed in excess of 54,000 in Korea, 4,500 in Iraq and 2,216 and counting in Afghanistan.
But, such numbers give no true reflection of war’s cost. The accounting is more accurately represented, not by the thousands, but by the “ones.” Each casualty was likely the most important person in someone’s life. These were the sons and daughters of mothers and fathers. They were often siblings, mates, sweethearts or themselves, parents.
This accounting also fails to regard the untold numbers of war’s “survivors” who have been forever maimed in body, or in their very “person.”
Memorial Day demands that I remember the father of my late wife. He was unknown to her, having flown his P-40 against the Nazis, and into eternity over the Mediterranean in 1943. She was born six weeks later.
Memorial Day has become the occasion of a “long weekend.” It’s often “celebrated” with backyard grilling, sports events or much welcomed relaxation. But, let us not forget, if not the sobering totals ... the many “ones.”
May we always respect our men and women in uniform; and, may God bless America.
RTWisdom
