Memorial Day Thoughts on Honor and Duty

By Jack Hunter

Today we remember those who gave their lives serving our country.

We must always remember that while it is the soldier’s job to do his or her duty, it is the citizen’s job to make sure that when our government decides to put our soldiers in harm’s way, it is for a good reason. Our leaders must be held accountable for their decisions, good and bad–not simply given carte blanche on foreign policy.

Without fail, America’s soldiers have always done their duty. Today, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

We, on the other hand, regular citizens, have done a poor job in holding our leaders accountable for bad decisions in our foreign policy. Many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans now think those wars were not worth it. We need to listen to our veterans. They deserve better, particularly given what we ask of them.

The same government that conservatives rightly recognize as being too inept and incompetent to do much good here at home is the same government that regularly makes life and death decisions for our troops abroad.

A soldier can never go wrong in doing what his or her country asks of them. That is their duty. Citizens can never go wrong in questioning their government too much. That is our duty.

TMOT: Troops, Stand Tall; I’ve Got Your 6, You’ve Got My Support

A touching and heartfelt message to all American troops from Minister Derrick Grayson:

I promise to work towards better post war care, bringing you home, ensuring that if you are in a war, you'll be ACTUALLY fighting to protect or liberate. How? By voting for and supporting honorable politicians. I help do this to you. Please forgive me…

Obama: All Americans Must Help Shoulder Burden of War

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va., May 28, 2012 – Binding the wounds of war is the priority for our nation, President Barack Obama said during the Memorial Day observance here today.

Representing all Americans, the president placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and then spoke at the Memorial Amphitheatre.

“Today we come together as Americans to pray, to reflect and to remember these heroes,” he said. “But tomorrow this hallowed place will once again belong to a smaller group of visitors … following a well-worn path to a certain spot and kneeling in front of a familiar headstone. You are the family and friends of the fallen.”

Those who have lost a loved one “leave a piece of yourselves beneath these trees,” the president said. “You, too, call this sanctuary home.”

The president noted that for the first time in nine years Americans are not fighting and dying in Iraq. The war in Afghanistan is winding down, he said, and U.S. troops deployed there will come home. “After a decade under the dark cloud of war, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon,” he said.

With the war in Iraq over, the president put the scale of the sacrifice in perspective. He spoke of the four Marines who died in a helicopter crash on the first day of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. Maj. Jay Thomas Aubin, Capt. Ryan Anthony Beaupre, Cpl. Brian Matthew Kennedy and Staff Sgt. Kendall Damon Watersbey were the first casualties of the war. He then spoke of the last of the nearly 4,500 casualties: Army Spc. David Hickman who was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad a month before the last Americans left Iraq in December.

The president spoke about meeting the Hickman family at Fort Bragg, N.C. “Right now, the Hickman’s are beginning a very difficult journey that so many of your families have traveled before them – a journey that more families will take in the months and years ahead,” he said.

Obama spoke directly to the families of the fallen and shared what he told the Hickmans: that there is no more wrenching decision as president than sending service members into harm’s way.

“I can promise you that I will never do so unless it is absolutely necessary,” he said. “Then when we do, we must give our troops a clear mission and the full support of a grateful nation.”

Americans need to help the families facing such tragedy, the president said. “As a country, all of us can and should ask ourselves how we can help you shoulder a burden that no one should have to bear alone.

“As we honor your mothers and fathers, your sons and daughters who have given their last full measure of devotion to this country, we have to ask ourselves how we can support you and your families, and give you some strength.”

The best way to help is to remember the sacrifices and to remember the dead as not just a line in the newspaper, but as individuals, Obama said. The country can honor them by meeting its obligations to those who did come home, he added.

“To all our men and women in uniform who are here today, know this: The patriots who rest beneath these hills were fighting for many things – for their families, for their flag – but above all, they were fighting for you,” Obama said. “As long as I am president, we will make sure you and your loved ones will receive the benefits you’ve earned and the respect you deserve. America will be there for you.”

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s Statement Recognizing Memorial Day

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement today in recognition of Memorial Day:

 “Today, Americans in towns, cities and communities across the country join together to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our great nation. It is the incredible courage of America’s servicemen and women that make it possible for every single one of us to enjoy the freedoms that define who we are as a country. And for their bravery, we owe them a debt of gratitude that can simply never be repaid.

 “As we reflect on the lives of America’s fallen heroes, and the immeasurable loss felt by their loved ones, we must also remember our solemn duty to millions of veterans and their families across the country, whose sacrifices we must continue to honor. For protecting our nation, we owe them the care they were promised and the benefits they earned. President Obama understands that commitment, and we see it every day—from helping veterans find work when they return home and afford a college education to securing the largest increase in VA funding in decades so our veterans can get the care and benefits they need, including treatment for PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

 “This Memorial Day, we recommit ourselves to all of America’s service members—those who lost their lives fighting for all of us, those who continue to put themselves in harm’s way, and all of the veterans and military families who we are so proud to support. We salute each and every one of you, and we will never forget your unparalleled dedication to our country.”