Today America remembers its war
dead. More than 2 million men and women have heroically and courageously
given their lives for their country since its founding.
From the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775,
to Gettysburg in 1863, to the Battle of Amiens
in 1918, to Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Battle of Pork Chop Hill in 1953, the Tet
Offensives in 1968 and 1969, the Invasion of Grenada in 1983, to Desert Storm
in 1991, to Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. servicemen have died defending freedom.
In a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington
National Cemetery, President Barack Obama paid tribute to America's war
dead. "They are heroes, each and every one," he said.
"They gave America the most precious thing they had, the last full measure
of devotion. And because they did, we are who we are today: a free and
prosperous nation, the greatest in the world."
In the past decade about 2.5 million
members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and related Reserve
and National Guard units have been deployed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars,
according to Defense Department records. Nearly 40,000 Americans have
been deployed more than five times, and more than 400,000 have undergone three
of more deployments. In that time about 7,000 U.S. servicemen have died
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The president also spoke about those
who are currently on the front lines. "We must remember our
countrymen are still serving, still fighting, putting their lives on the line
for all of us," President Obama said.
Hundreds of thousands of veterans have
returned home after selflessly putting it all on the line for the country they
love. But all too often the system they defended has failed them.
The transition into daily life can be difficult under the best of circumstances.
For the tens of thousands of veterans suffering from physical or mental
injuries, the post war care is inadequate.
An unprecedented number of veterans are
facing the challenges of civilian life. Some have enrolled in
college. For instance, John Byrne,
a Valor Award winner for a 36-hour fire fight in Afghanistan in which four of
his comrades were killed. He spent more than a decade in service of his
country. He is now a sophomore at Hofstra
University, nearly 20 years older than his classmates. But he is also
working part time and trying to start a family. While he is not
complaining, it isn't easy dealing with homework, work and the emotional
effects of battle.
He recently wrote on his blog, "I
think that feeling and emotions I had about going to Afghanistan were rooted in
the things my parents instilled in me, being a good person, and the love of
being American. Serving my country gave me a proud feeling that I am unable to
put into words."
Let us remember not only America's war
dead. Let us redouble our efforts to care for those veterans who have
returned home in the hopes of having productive and meaningful
lives.
"We few, we happy few, we band of
brothers;" wrote William Shakespeare in Henry V, "For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be
my brother."
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