Tribute to the Troops (May 2010)

Each Memorial Day, American flags around the world are lowered to half-staff.  It’s a quiet gesture that reminds us of those former defenders who are no longer with us.

One of America’s best investments is the one it makes in its Army Reserve Soldiers.

Every day for me is Memorial Day.  It has to be.

For most Americans, the wars our Nation is fighting comes into their lives perhaps a few times a day when they read a headline in the newspaper or watch a report on the evening news.  But for the families of our service members war is part of every moment of their lives as they pray for loved ones deployed and care for family members here at home.  

How should we pay tribute to our Sailors?

I recently returned from my eighth visit to see our Soldiers deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The men and women of our Army are performing magnificently, accomplishing our national objectives and making a difference in the lives of so many.  The personal sacrifice of our Soldiers and their Families to preserve our way of life and build a better future for others says much about the Army’s strength – a 235-year history of strength rooted in our values, our ethos, and our people.

The warriors serving in our Marine Corps today are a truly remarkable generation.

Memorial Day provides us the opportunity to reflect upon and honor the service of our shipmates who gave the ultimate sacrifice – to ensure that we do not forget those brave men and women who have gone before us in the glory of a duty well performed.

Inspired by a common desire for freedom, but forged through a revolution by the exceptional few who answered the call to arms, our Nation has rightly honored those who have donned its cloth and given their lives in its defense.

Another Memorial Day is upon us. Each year, our Nation stops to remember our fallen heroes from the wars of our past and, over the past eight and a half years, from today’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.