If you haven't been there and seen it for yourself, this will be hard to understand. Quietly walking through hundreds upon thousands of graves, people of different race and religion, remarkable and courageous men and women all gone too soon; It's humbling. Being in Arlington National Cemetery has the power to make you feel ten feet tall in one minute and small in the next. The brevity of human life is all too prominent here. Standing at the top of the hill, looking out, it's hard to fathom and take in how many lives have been sacrificed, and really this is only the tip of the ice berg. All the people who were left overseas, all the soldiers buried at home in cemeteries all over the country. The number is in the millions. So what were they fighting for?
In the Revolutionary War, it was for our basic rights, they fought and died for the foundation of our country.
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The Civil War brought the most deaths, and were the first to be placed in Arlington (General Robert E. Lee's actual backyard) by president Lincoln as a reminder to Robert E. Lee of the sheer amount of lives lost. Needless to say, General Lee never returned. Surprisingly enough, this war wasn't about slavery, although it was the tipping point for sure. They were fighting for states' rights.
In the World Wars they were sent across seas to free people from actual, manifested evils. They fought for the oppressed people, and freed them.
In Korea and Vietnam they were spit on, called baby killers, and threatened. Mocked and jeered, yet they still went to foreign lands to fight a distant yet unfamiliar enemy.
In the Persian Gulf War, again they were sent to a distant land to help people who couldn't help themselves. A fight for democracy.
Today it's the war on terrorism. When will it end? People concerned about "innocent" lives being lost.... what about 9/11? Have you forgotten?
I am proud of my country, and the men and women who have served, continue to serve and will serve. Many people I love are in the military and it is a brave and selfless thing to do, to sacrifice your life for others. I am proud of our ideals, our values and the American Dream. I am proud that we give other countries the opportunity to fulfill their own dreams.
To answer my earlier question, what did they fight for? Go look in a mirror. They fought for you, and me, and the millions of people who have yet to be born. They fought for millions of people they will never meet. They leave their families for us, they leave this Earth for us. They fight for basic human rights, for the good that is left in this world.
This Memorial Day, take a minute and think of them. Have fun at the lake or the beach with your six pack. Take advantage of the sales; Enjoy your extra day off, a day that many other people don't get, but remember why it's really here. This Memorial Day don't forget what we are really celebrating.
Ephesians 6:12
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
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