I am Thankful for . . .REMEMBERING... by Frank J. Montoya
On this Memorial Day we pause to reflect, to remember and to pay homage to those valiant souls who made the final sacrifice, those who heeded Liberty’s call in time of need and who bravely went forth in defense of Freedom.
We remember those who served on the Western Front, in the hedgerows and in the trenches of the First World War, and who now rest in peace in Flanders Field.
We remember the millions who served and the tens of thousands who did not return from the hot and dusty deserts of Northern Africa, the muddy roads of Southern Italy, the bloody beaches of France, the frozen mountains and timbered groves of Austria, Belgium and Germany, and from the myriad islands and steaming jungles of Asia and the South Pacific as they and their gallant comrades from allied nations confronted our country’s enemies on land, in the air and on the seas during the Second World War.
We remember the grieving Wives and Mothers who tearfully placed Gold Stars in the windows of so many homes in cities, towns and villages throughout our country as they mourned for Fathers, Sons and Husbands who, at their country’s call, left home and family and all they held dear and, tragically, did not return. Sadly, today that page of history is being repeated as casualties mount in our present conflicts.
We remember the unsung heroes of the “Forgotten War” in Korea and those of our most unpopular war, in Vietnam, who served proudly and died for causes that were largely misunderstood and who were, sadly, maligned and subjected to indifference, abuse and scorn, both here at home and abroad.
We remember those who served and bravely died in our efforts to promote and keep the peace in a number of foreign countries including Lebanon, Somalia, Bosnia and Kuwait, just to name a few.
We recall that dreadful, grim September day, the day the Towers fell and thousands of innocents from many nations perished at the hands of radical, fanatical extremists. That was the day that terrorism showed its ugly face, the day that Lady Liberty bowed her head...and cried.
We remember our latest heroes, those newly fallen in Iraq and in Afghanistan as we resort to a different kind of war; a conflict that knows no fronts or bounds, waged by an enemy that has no regard for innocent human life; that despises our “Western Ways” and for reasons we find difficult to understand, is fanatically committed to destroying our very existence and our American Way of Life.
We remember the Prisoners of War, confined in cages, pits and bamboo huts, starved, debased, degraded, tortured and tormented, both in body and in mind. Their strength and courage reflect the American Spirit.
We remember the thousands whose fate is still unknown, who have been officially declared as Missing in Action. We must make every effort possible to account for them and to determine their final destiny.
We remember all who served and, thankfully, are still among us. They stand proudly beside us as vibrant, living monuments to remind us of crises past, of countless battles fought and won during those terrible times of adversity.
We remember and honor each and every one who served, who fought and who died that we might live in a Free Democracy without constraint, without hindrance, and without fear of bondage or subservience.
We must never forget their glorious legacy:
Freedom is not free.
They paid the price to give us Liberty.
April 6, 1968 . . . my buddy, colleague and friend made the ultimate sacrifice that any Hero can.
