....the day that America remembers her fallen, those men and woman who have selflessly given their lives in the cause of freedom — from the beginnings of our country to the present day. It is a day for reflection not recrimination, a day for mourning not politics, a day for thinking about what makes America great.

The men and women of this country who have given their lives in the cause of freedom are not supermen or a special genetic class gifted with a super gene of courage. They are and were ordinary Americans, from every walk of life, who, when confronted with terrifying options, chose to risk their lives in the service of their country and to save and protect their fellow warriors.

Many Americans live selfless lives of sacrifice, toiling away in anonymity, building this country brick by brick, story by story. America's heroes are their inspiration, their hope. Their stories, and the greatness of this country that those stories represent, are what drives others to work long hours and sacrifice for their families.

When you read the stories of Medal Of Honor recipients (they are not winners!), you are struck by the similarity of their stories. Without regard for their personal safety and fully aware of the extreme danger which they were encountering, they pressed forward toward a goal; taking a ridge, saving a buddy, destroying the enemy, defending their position.

From the famous, and even legendary, to the unknown and the almost forgotten, from youngsters who lied to enlist to aged warriors fighting in their n^th conflict, from the dispossessed to the disenfranchised, these men and women exemplified the best of America; the willingness to take on insurmountable odds, the refusal to accept defeat under the worst of circumstances, the indomitable spirit that built this great country and sustains it still.

All of these are values we, as Americans, should not only celebrate but strive to emulate. When we refuse to celebrate the lives and sacrifices of these men and women, when we allow others to denigrate them and insult them, when we ignore them and don't think about what their lives mean to us personally, we cheapen America. Bit by bit, piece by piece, we chip away at the edifice these men and women fought to defend.

Abraham Lincoln, who himself gave his life for this country, once said, "Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure." His words, spoken more than a century ago, are more important now than at any time in our history.

This nation cannot long survive if it continues to forget what, and who, made it great.

Crossposted at Media Lies.

Contributed by antimedia on May 28, 2007 at 03:42 PM in Antimedia, Memorial Day | Permalink

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