Memorial Day

This is Memorial Day Weekend. Our Congress is bickering over how much money to send to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and trying to send as little as possible or at least attach wasteful earmarks onto Defense Spending Bills. In the meantime, our soldiers are trudging away. Fighting for the freedom of others and fighting to preserve our freedoms here in America. They don't have all of the tools they need, but they fight anyway. They don't have all of the equipment that they need, but they fight anyway. They aren't always able to contact their loved ones, but they fight anyway. To ensure we have freedom here.

Our media will undoubtedly tell us how many soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and truly I wish there were less killed than have been killed. But there were more killed in many of the battles of the Civil War and World War II than have been killed in 6+ years in Afghanistan and 5+years in Iraq.

The war dead of some of the major conflicts in US History. (Source http://www.militaryfactory.com/american_war_deaths.asp )

Revolutionary War 25000

War of 1812 20000

Mexican-American War 13283

Civil War 623026

Spanish-American War 2446

Philippine War 4196

World War I 116708

World War II 407316

Korean War 36914

Vietnam War 58169

Gulf War 269

Afghanistan 482*

Iraq War 3975*

Ongoing conflicts. This data is probably not current up to the time of this post. It is 2008 data however.

While everyone of these men and women is valuable, and while it is unfortunate that they had to pay the ultimate sacrifice for their nation, they did not die in vain. They died for freedom. Freedom for America and freedom for others. I hope that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be over quickly with those nations able to defend themselves against aggressors and with a democratic government which supports freedom for its people. When Iraq and Afghanistan can stand on their own two feet, our men and women can come home. But, if we leave before those nations can defend themselves, it is likely that we will have to go back later with many more dead in the future. So please, this Memorial Day, pray for our troops, and pray for the President and Congress. Pray that our nations leaders will make good decisions. Think of the troops who have died in the past, and those currently in harms way. Remember their sacrifice, and the freedom their sacrifice has paid for.