Remember their sacrifice

To the editor: To die in defense of your country and for freedom is the greatest sacrifice that a serviceman or woman can make to protect others. I encourage you to pause on Memorial Day to realize the high price that has been paid by so many so you can enjoy the blessings of living in the United States. Visit a local war memorial and realize that the engraved names represent people who put their lives in danger for your sake. These are people who left their families and futures behind to defeat worldwide threats to your family and your future. Pause to reflect about the impact of that sacrifice. More than 2,600 of our bravest have given their lives in the Middle East to limit the reach of terrorism worldwide. The cost of freedom is high; veterans join families in mourning every time taps is played. Remember the fallen, thank their families and support those in harm’s way whether or not you agree with their deployment. I’ve spoken to soldiers who served recently in the Middle East. Our military is making a tremendous difference there. By building schools and hospitals, protecting a marketplace that creates jobs, making food and water more available, and training police and troops, our military is ushering in freedom in Iraq. Life in Afghanistan has also been improved thanks to our troops. Like the grateful Europeans who were liberated from Adolf Hitler’s crusade, Iraqis thank our troops for giving them life free from the death grip of Saddam and his sons. With hope in their eyes, Iraqi children shake the hands of our personnel. Hope may be hard to capture in news stories, but our troops clearly see it there and morale is high because of this. On Memorial Day, join the VFW in honoring deceased veterans by saluting today’s veterans and by supporting those who are defending freedom today. That’s a sacrifice we should all make. Robert C. Eiler Vietnam Veteran and State Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars