By Gene Jones, President, Florida Veterans for Common Sense
Memorial Day is not a celebratory holiday. We set this day aside to remember the sacrifice of over one million service members who died fighting for America. This huge number makes us bow our heads in humble reflection. We are fortunate that so many courageous souls answered the call to protect us.
The goal of those who died was to ensure that we, the beneficiaries of their sacrifice, could live a better life and extend the promise of America.
Revolutionary War soldiers, sailors, and marines answered the call to set America free from King George’s tyranny. We remember them.
Civil War soldiers, sailors, and marines died to preserve the Union and expand equality for all Americans. We remember them.
WWI soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen fought to repel brutal German aggression against a neutral nation, abuse of non-combatants, unrestricted submarine warfare, and a German plot to carve off part of America to Mexico. We remember them.
WWII soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen fought a war of self-defense when Japan attacked us and Germany declared war on us. The soldiers of the greatest generation defeated the forces of fascism and imperialism. They fought under the banner of the four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. We remember them.
Korea and Vietnam soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen fought to contain communism. We remember them.
Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen fought to combat terrorism and to establish democracy in places where tyranny ruled. We remember them.
When the call came for sacrifice, the brave answered
We recognize that in some of these wars, the rationale for them was propaganda or misinformation. Sadly, they resulted in tragedy and fiasco and were not just wars. Although our country might have been mistaken in some wars when the call came for sacrifice, the brave answered. We bow our heads to honor the loyalty and sacrifice of special warriors. Those who were willing to die for our dream although they sometimes questioned the mission.
On Memorial Day, we must recognize that our democracy holds a promise for a better tomorrow because warriors willing to die made our life possible. As we honor their sacrifice, we should also remember that tyranny and chaos have not been eliminated. As citizens, we must stand on the front lines to defend against those forces that would erase all the gains made by the sacrifice of more than a million brave warriors. Let their sacrifice never be in vain.
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I deeply appreciate Gene Jones’ message on this Memorial Day. I thought of Pat Tillman, a professional football player who felt obligated to join the military after 9/11, who came to question our mission in Afghanistan, who was killed by friendly fire and whose death was used by the Bush administration to try and justify an endless war there. The Tillman family would not allow that, and demanded the truth about Pat’s death, and finally got it.
You said it perfectly. I’ve made it my mission this time of year to educate people who say “Happy Memorial Day.” There’s nothing happy about the holiday. Maybe, happy that you can enjoy a picnic with your family because ‘some gave all.’