God Bless America - Happy Memorial Day
Just a quick line to ask everybody to remember the sacrifices of countless American soldiers throughout history. It's easy to lose sight of what they've really done for us, being that most of us are pretty far removed from any sort of military life.
With the media constantly bombarding us with negative images of the U.S. and our military, it's important to dig deeper and seek the truth. We need to get back to the days of patriotism in America. Return to the days where we as a country supported our brave men and women that put themselves in harms way for us ALL.
Pick up a history book. Re-acquaint yourselves with what it really means to be an American. Also, to remember just how bloody war USED to be. Be thankful for the advances of our modern military and their ability to greatly reduce U.S. casualties in times of conflict.
I'm reading a book about WWII right now, called Flags of Our Fathers. It's a really good book. It is written by the son of one of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima. It describes, in vivid detail, just some of the horrors that our soldiers endured to secure America's freedom. It chronicles the lives of the 6 men in that famous picture. It's pretty intense.
In just ONE battle at Iwo Jima, the U.S. lost in excess of 5,000 men in just ONE DAY. Compare that to our modest losses in the war we're in now. We've been in Iraq for over 3 years and we've lost in the neighborhood of 2,400 soldiers. We lost a total of 26,000 at Iwo Jima when all was said and done. Twenty six THOUSAND. By comparison, I think that's pretty remarkable.
Not only does this book talk about some of the battles, but it also talks about something even more important - patriotism. These courageous young men (some even as young as 15, who lied about their age to get in) selflessly put themselves in harms way for their country. They didn't back down. They wanted to be where they were. They had fire in their bellies, and had a sense of duty to fulfill. They didn't cower, they didn't complain. To them, serving was an honor.
I recommend the book, for sure. It's a pretty moving account of the events of that era.
As Americans, don't forget the sacrifices our soldiers have made for our freedom. We all enjoy a very privileged lifestyle because of the valor and bravery of many people who are no longer with us. My grandfather was one of those, awarded the Purple Heart during WWII. He was one of the lucky ones to make it back alive though. My father served, as well as many cousins, uncles, great uncles, etc. in all branches of the armed forces. I've got friends serving right now.
To them all, I say THANK YOU.