Memorial Day

My brother-in-law got the following letter published in the Asheville Citizen-Times. As those of you in the know are aware, Asheville is chock-full of the Blame America First crowd, so it's an especially worthy Memorial Day entry.

Mr. Jon Ostendorff,

I am an Iraqi Freedom campaign veteran. I live in the Big Sandymush community near Leicester, NC. While a Non Commisioned Officer with the 82nd Airborne Division (3rd BCT) I was wounded several times in Iraq. As a combat wounded veteran I can say that Memorial Day means far more to me than grilling hamburgers and taking a day off from work. For my family, Memorial Day is a time to remember friends who will not come back home. For my family, it is a time to study the history of this nation and thank all who have fought and died creating this democracy. Memorial day is not a day for politics, protests, or even sadness. It is a day to honour[sic] the fallen warriors of our nation.

I admit, I haven't really done much on Memorial Day in the past. But I consider myself a patriot, and John makes a good point. Whatever you may think of the particular War in Iraq, there's no denying that freedom and stability can only be paid for in blood - and whether or not you consider this war a worthy cause, surely you must recognize not only that others in the past were absolutely essential, but also that maintaining a strong and effective military now is the best way to ensure that we can continue to live in the kind of country we choose. Happy Memorial Day, John!