On other National holidays the nation takes to the streets in joyous celebration. On Memorial Day we are to take time to remember and mourn those men and women who gave their lives for this country. So many did over the years.
| War | Dead | Wounded |
|---|---|---|
| Revolutionary | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| 1812 | 20,000 | 4,505 |
| Mexican-American | 13,283 | 4,152 |
| Civil | 624,511 | 281,881 |
| Spanish-American | 2,446 | 1,622 |
| Philippine-American | 4,196 | 2,930 |
| World War 1 | 116,516 | 204,002 |
| World War 2 | 405,399 | 670,846 |
| Korea | 36,516 | 92,134 |
| Vietnam | 58,209 | 153,303 |
| Gulf | 258 | 849 |
| Afghanistan | 1,803 | 31,965 |
| Iraq | 4,477 | 41,936 |
| Totals | 1,312,614 | 1,515,125 |
We should pause and remember them. But instead most Americans will go to sales in malls, go to the beach and have cook outs.
The sacrifice these men gave entitles these Americans to do that. It is our Freedoms and the Freedom of the world that they sacrificed their lives. The liberation of Europe, not once but twice. The liberation of Iraq from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and Afghanistan from the Taliban. The Freedom of Cuba from Spain, the Philippines, the Battle of New Orleans and Brooklyn Heights. They sacrificed at Shiloh, and Gettysburg. The Wilderness and Fredricksberg. And the nation they fought for survived and thrived.
To the families of those who have died: Thank You. There is no monetary settlement, no honors we can give you to heal the pain.
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