Remember the Fallen!
(May 25, 2026)
According to my AI generated research, over 1.2 million American soldiers have
lost their lives in wars the United States has fought since its founding. Almost
215,000 lives were lost in the War Between the States by the Union and
Confederate armies alone, with over 405,000 lost in World War 2. These totals
don’t include MIA’s or POW’s.
We must never forget that the price for our freedom has been paid in blood.
These patriots sacrificed their lives because they believed that freedom was
worth fighting for and dying for. So, when their country needed them, they
answered the call.
They came from all walks of life, from all over the country. Farm boys left their
plows. College men traded their dorm rooms for a barracks or the open air in a
foreign country. City boys left the concrete jungle for the rice fields of Vietnam,
and a myriad of other brave souls left their best on battlefields all over the world.
And let’s not forget the sacrifices of the families who would never again enjoy a
Fourth of July picnic or Christmas celebration with their son(s). Like the Sullivan
family who lost five sons at once when the light cruiser, USS Juneau, was sunk by
a Japanese torpedo during the battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. This
was most sons killed in battle from any single American family, and it prompted
the U.S. military to implement the “Sole Survivor Policy.” This rule ensures that
siblings could not be assigned to the same combat unit, preventing such a tragedy
from ever repeating itself.
So, once a year a grateful nation remembers. We honor those who gave it all so
that we may live free. And we pledge eternal vigilance to ensure that the
freedoms you sacrificed your live for will remain.
If you are reading this and have lost a son, or daughter, in the service of our
country, on behalf of all of us I say, “Thank You!” We grieve your loss, and we will
never forget.