Posted by
Defend America on Monday, May 31, 2010 11:30:06 AM
Memorial Day 2010
by Oliver North
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va. -- This is the place that receives
the most attention on Memorial Day, though it is but one of 141
national cemeteries in the United States and 24 others located on
foreign soil. Many of our countrymen will observe this "last Monday in
May" holiday with travel, shopping and picnics. But those who take the
time to visit one of these hallowed grounds will have an unforgettable
experience.
These are the final resting places for more than 3
million Americans who served in our armed forces -- as soldiers,
sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines -- including the nearly 5,500
who have perished in Afghanistan and Iraq.
A visit to one of
these quiet memorials is a tribute to those who made history by wearing
our nation's uniform and taking up arms to preserve our liberty and
free tens of millions of others from tyranny. In words written on stone
markers, these places tell the story of who we are as a people.
Regardless
of when they served, all interred in these cemeteries sacrificed the
comforts of home and absented themselves from the warmth and affection
of loved ones. Since 1776, more than 1.5 million Americans have lost
their lives while in uniform.
At countless funerals and
memorial services for those who lost their lives in the service of our
country, I hear the question, "Why is such a good young person taken
from us in the prime of life?" Plato, the Greek philosopher, apparently
sought to resolve the issue by observing, "Only the dead have seen the
end of war." I prefer to take my solace in the words of Jesus to the
Apostle John: "Father, I will that those you have given me, be with me
where I am."
http://townhall.com/columnists/OliverNorth/2010/05/28/memorial_day_2010