My father served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War and we grew up with the highest respect for military, public and community service. Deciding not to serve after college was a difficult decision for me, but that same call to service led me to Federal civilian service after graduate school.
While there is no greater calling a person's life than to serve his or her fellow man, today we remember those souls who gave their life in the line of duty for this great country. I must say, this day has greater meaning to me as my younger brother spent the better part of this year on deployment as a Naval helicopter pilot. He was deployed to most of the hot spots of the past 12 months and not a day went by that I not pray for his safety.
Today I want to thank those who gave their lives for our country. Moreover, I want to thank the family members who carried on after they lost their loved ones. We will never forget your sacrifices. May God Bless you.
An editorial article titled simply "Memorial Day" from today's Wall Street Journal:
While there is no greater calling a person's life than to serve his or her fellow man, today we remember those souls who gave their life in the line of duty for this great country. I must say, this day has greater meaning to me as my younger brother spent the better part of this year on deployment as a Naval helicopter pilot. He was deployed to most of the hot spots of the past 12 months and not a day went by that I not pray for his safety.
Today I want to thank those who gave their lives for our country. Moreover, I want to thank the family members who carried on after they lost their loved ones. We will never forget your sacrifices. May God Bless you.
An editorial article titled simply "Memorial Day" from today's Wall Street Journal:
As Americans prepare to enjoy a Memorial Day of barbecues and beach trips, it's easy to forget why this day occupies a special place on the American calendar. A recent reminder comes, perhaps appropriately, from the "forgotten war."
Last month President Obama posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Father Emil Kapaun, a Catholic priest who served as a U.S. Army chaplain during the Korean War.
Associated Press
This image provided by the U.S. Army shows Army chaplain (Second Lt.) Emil Kapaun circa 1943.
Under a ferocious assault from Chinese communists at Unsan, Korea in November 1950, Kapaun repeatedly dodged enemy fire to pull comrades to safety, and to tend to their injuries. When he was ordered to evacuate, he stayed behind to care for the wounded until his capture. Witnessing an enemy soldier aiming his rifle and preparing to execute a wounded American, Kapaun shoved the enemy soldier aside, picked up the wounded man, and carried him for miles on a death march ordered by the communists.
Until his death the following year at a prisoner-of-war camp, Kapaun cared for his fellow prisoners and inspired them by defiantly practicing his faith despite brutal punishment. In presenting the medal last month to Kapaun's family, President Obama related Kapaun's celebration of Easter in 1951.
"He held up a small crucifix that he had made from sticks. And as the guards watched, Father Kapaun and all those prisoners—men of different faith, perhaps some men of no faith—sang the Lord's Prayer and 'America the Beautiful.' They sang so loud that other prisoners across the camp not only heard them, they joined in, too—filling that valley with song and with prayer." Many prisoners of the camp would later credit Kapaun with saving their lives.
His heroism occurred six decades ago. And of course the most recent decade has provided Americans with many more examples of selfless heroism. This weekend is also a time to remember men like Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who saved the lives of his fellow soldiers by throwing himself on a grenade in Iraq in 2006. Or Robert J. Miller, an Army Green Beret who repeatedly charged over exposed ground and battled more than 100 enemy fighters to save the lives of his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan in 2008.
After the 2010 ceremony to award Miller's medal, his mother Maureen Miller said, "We want everyone to know he loved what he was doing. He was good at what he was doing. And he believed he was working for a good cause." It is among the greatest of causes, and Americans are fortunate to have been defended by such men.
