Their Sacrifice & Ours

To Understand and Honor the Fallen

For many, this weekend will be about grilling, laughing, and experiencing joy – exactly how the Fallen would have wanted it. Despite the great divide that has consumed our nation, we choose to celebrate this weekend. However, in doing so, we inadvertently insult the men¹ who laid down their lives on the altar of freedom for us. Perhaps it is the politicians or a profound misunderstanding that has led us to this point. Maybe we have forgotten why they fought and our duty to honor their sacrifice, not just during this weekend. It is essential to rectify all misunderstandings and remind ourselves plainly.

Their Sacrifice

It started with a blank check and an oath. These are the seemingly small requirements to enlist. The blank check is payable to the people of The United States of America for an amount up to and including ones life. This weekend we remember those whose checks were fully cashed in. We grieve for their widows, children, parents and brothers-in-arms who were left feeling the heavy burden of verifying a check so enormous.

Why They Fought, is a complex question best broken down into two parts: Why they joined and why they fought. The reasons for joining are as diverse as our land itself: (i) to honor their families, (ii) to fulfill their patriotic duty, (iii) to seek justice for 9/11, (iv) for education benefits, (v) because they were lost and troubled, or (vi) a combination of reasons. Regardless of the individual motivations, everything changed once they endorsed that check and embarked on their mission to preserve Liberty.

No matter what brought them, their reasons became aligned. They fought for their section, their company, their battalion, their division, and their branch. They fought for their family, their neighbors, their county, their state, and for you. They ventured into Hell on Earth so that we could remain ignorant to the cruelties of the world and focus on the remarkable wonders of life in a free society. They paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we could:

• Pursue any path in life we desire (we might not achieve it but they died so you had the right to try);

• Envision a better life for our children;

• Have a say in how we are governed;

• Be free to speak our minds and stand up for what we believe is right.

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” - General George S. Patton.

Our Duty

Soldiers we do not know paid a heavy price for us, and it was not without cost. It comes with our own form of responsibility. If we want to claim that we are good and moral people, we are duty-bound to fulfill these responsibilities. It does not matter whether we believe a war was justified. We voted and decided to send these brave soldiers to fight. If we continue to neglect our duty, who will be there to fight when we need them? Our duties are:

• To care for their family and brothers they left behind;

• To live a life that makes their sacrifice worth it by:

  • Striving to live an honorable life;

  • Striving to be better men & and woman every day;

  • Treating all Americans, especially our political opponents, with honor and dignity at all times.

• To live our life to its fullest potential and strive to make our nation a better place.

They did not die for the current divisive political climate in which we find ourselves. Why would they have? They did not die so that every difference of opinion becomes an argument based on good versus evil. In fact, I cannot think of any political issue we face where the opposition is inherently immoral or acting similarly to Hitler. Not one. Regardless of the issue, if we try to understand the other person's perspective, we will discover that they come from a place of concern, even if they approach the problem differently. This applies to issues such as abortion, gender ideology, global warming, and more.

Every time we treat our fellow Americans with contempt, we tarnish the sacrifices of the men who made our lives possible. I doubt those brave soldiers at Normandy would have stepped off those boats if they could see us today.

Our duties are challenging. I have failed to meet every requirement 100% of the time, and for that, I am truly ashamed. But, we all must strive to do better. We must work to control our emotions and approach political issues believing that our fellow Americans do not wish for Liberty to perish. Our neighbors are not the same as the corrupt politicians in D.C., and we should not treat them as such. If we remain divided, we will fail together and completely diminish their sacrifice.

This weekend, we remember those whose checks were fully cashed – the ones who died on the battlefield and the ones who returned home only to succumb to the pain that comes with executing the orders of a free people. We grieve for their widows, children, parents, and brothers-in-arms who were left burdened with verifying such an enormous check. Please honor the Fallen and their families by adopting a different approach to political discourse. You may stumble from time to time, but you must keep trying. These Fallen heroes deserve more from us. If they were brave enough to die, we can be brave enough to change.

If you are interested in donating to a non-profit dedicated to helping the family members of fallen soldiers please check out: Foldsofhonor.org

1. We use the terms men & brothers not to take away from the socratic of our sisters in arms as we have deep love & respect for them. We do it for the following reasons: (i) that we served in an all male unit, (ii) for simplicity of though and writing; and (iii) as an acknowledgement that over 99% of causalities have been men.