Salute the Fallen Heroes

Today is Memorial Day.

More than any previous Memorial Day, I'm cognizant this year of the sacrifice made by the men and women who have answered this country's call in times of need.

I think of the young men who had no personal grudge against the English king, but joined General Washington's army to secure the dream of liberty. And the hundreds of thousands of young men--likely as not uncommitted to the abolishonist cause--who followed Generals Sherman and Grant, in many cases to certain death. And the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who understood Germany did not attack the United States at Pearl Harbor, but who took orders from General Eisenhower to storm the beach at Normandy to finish off the Nazi nightmare.

Today, our servicemen and women are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, 3400 of their colleagues having fallen in service to their country. In service to all of us.

And still I hear, unceasingly, the refrain of people from all sides of the political spectrum deriding the war as "illegal", "immoral" or "lost", taking pains all the while to feign "support for our troops".

Shame on them.

I say it here and now, you cannot deride a war and pretend to support the men and women who are fighting it. We have a free country, and freedom of speech; I honor any American's right to speak against the war. But in so doing, s/he should understand that one cannot simultaneously "honor" those fighting a war, while labeling that war as "immoral".

To all who have defended our country in wars which have proven to be wise, and in all other wars--but especially to those who have fallen--I salute you, I thank you, and I honor you.

God Bless.