On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln was asked to make a few “appropriate remarks,” at the dedication of the National Cemetery, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Lincoln was able to sum up, in one sentence, the significance of our current Memorial Day. Speaking of the significance of the recent battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln stated, “….that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under GOD, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
In the nearly 146 years since Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, little has changed. Veterans today are just as important, and courageous, as those who fought for their country, during the Revolutionary War, or Civil War. In the nearly 15 decades, since the Civil War, the United States has fought in many significant wars: The Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Our veterans, while often not treated as the heroes they are, are fighting for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. Freedoms that are often distorted based on one’s beliefs, but freedoms that the United States enjoys more than any other country in the world. The very acts of “Civil Disobedience” ordained by Henry David Thoreau are guaranteed by our Constitution and baptized by the blood of our armed forces. Blood that is often excoriated by the very people they are fighting to liberate – or by those on the home front enjoying their “freedom of speech,” guaranteed by the blood of patriots who died so they could criticize them.
My wish for this Memorial Day is that we each take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices made for each of us, by our armed forces. Pray for the souls of those who have died, fighting for our freedom, and those who are currently fighting an enemy that is a non-belligerent – often dressed as civilians to hide their true intentions - while cowardly striking our soldiers in the back. If you meet a member of our armed forces, show them your appreciation today, and everyday, by greeting them with a smile, an outstretched hand and a sincere “thank you.” Most of all, be proud of the United States – the best country in the world.
