Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day which was all too often merely another day for sales at the mall, barbecues with friends, and the official start of the summer season. Perhaps if there is any silver lining to the horrific events of 9/11, it was the reminder that our way of life, our freedoms and great wealth as a Nation, are not accidents, or simple luck and the good fortune to be born in the greatest country ever in existence; our great good fortune is the residue of the sacrifices of so many of our finest men and women.
Tomorrow I plan to thank one of the veterans who risked so much so that I might be here to freely blog about whatever comes to mind. My father flew 51 missions as the tail gunner on the aptly named B-24 Liberator and was shot down over Italy; through the skill of his pilot, most of the crew walked away that day. Ultimately, of the 391 young men who shipped out with him to Northern Africa in 1943, only 7 returned home. Last October, I wrote an homage to a group of airmen without whom it is likely even those 7 would not have come home.
I will also spend some time perusing the recollections that many other worthy bloggers have posted on their blogs. I recommend you read about Tibor Rubin, learn who Gerard Van der Leun was, spend some time with LaShawn Barbara's Memorial Day Reflections, savor Austin Bay's words (from last Memorial Day, but some things never grow stale), and follow some of the links Lori Byrd is collecting.
Finally, courtesy of Atlas Shrugs, we have these words of thanks:
– On this Memorial Day, we again pause to remember and to honor those who dedicated their lives to the service of others.
From the first citizen-soldiers who stood fast to defend their homes at Lexington and Concord, to the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines securing our liberty and our way of life today, our country has been truly blessed by those who stepped forward to say, "Send me."
Theirs is a noble calling that founded a nation, drove back the forces of fascism, communism and terrorism, and made historic advances in the cause of human freedom.
Their service strengthens our will to persevere through every challenge. They remind us of what it means to be an American.
So to all of those serving our country today, know that we are deeply grateful to you and to your families. May God bless you. And may God bless our wonderful country.
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
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