Memorial Day

As we celebrate this Memorial Day in our various ways, please take the time to recall what we’re doing this day. No, this isn’t going to be a finger-wagging session about enjoying yourself. Believe it: the men and women in uniform would love nothing better than to be home in the back yard tipping a cold one back while listening to the sound of something sizzling on the grill. I don’t know of a single one of them who would begrudge you doing the same, so enjoy it!

What I mean is that I’d like everyone to be aware of what has gone into the simple freedom to enjoy that kind of day and to recall that there are still folks out there on the walls of freedom watching on our behalf.

I can’t go the day without linking to stories written by far more talented folks than I. Peter Collier writes about America’s Honor at OpinionJournal and it is well, well worth the time to read.

Once we knew who and what to honor on Memorial Day: those who had given all their tomorrows, as was said of the men who stormed the beaches of Normandy, for our todays. But in a world saturated with selfhood, where every death is by definition a death in vain, the notion of sacrifice today provokes puzzlement more often than admiration.

Recapture that sense of pride in American honor. Go read it.

Jules Crittenden has the Memorial Day Roundup. Lots of good stuff there.

Finally, Glenn Reynolds over at Instapundit has good news for this Memorial Day: according to a number of sources the “surge” is apparently working wonders over in Iraq. Anbar province is a very different place today than it was just 4-5 months ago. Some of the members of our society don’t appear happy with that fact and he wonders why that is. (Same here, sir.)

To all of you veterans, please accept the salute and thanks from my family. We appreciate what you do and we remain aware of what we owe you. Be safe this day and, if you’re far from home, may you return soon and in victory.