Memorial Day 2006

Freedom isn't free.

That phrase is heard a lot these days. And it's very true. Our freedom came at a cost, and the bill continues to come due today. We live free on the shoulders of those who have died on battlefields stretching back over 200 years.

Death on the battlefield hurts those left behind as deeply as other kinds of death. The spouse feels torn in half, parents reel at the realization that fate has erred and they have outlived their child, and children wonder why Daddy or Mommy isn't coming home. Ever.

But we cannot reverse that death and so we must not allow ourselves to drown in sorrow on this day. Instead, let us remember that our freedoms were bought and paid for by others. They are gifts entrusted to our wise use.

So today we remember those who died. But most of all we remember why they died and what they gave.

Go, make the most of their gift as you hold their memory in your hearts. Use your freedoms and opportunities to live a life worthy of their sacrifice: play, love, care for, work, create, improve, challenge, excel in the slice of life that is yours; their deaths are the past, but they enable your future. Let us live a future worthy of their sacrifice.

Update: Lex says it all so much better.

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If you're looking for something a bit more eloquent, keep scrolling down at Blackfive, Mudville Gazette, Milblogs, or see the round-up here.