Memorial Day

Monday is Memorial Day. It is the day we honor all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our liberties.  From 1775 to the present and unfortunately still counting 1, 343, 812 Americans have died to protect our freedom.  In our own Civil War, 1861-1865 , 599 Americans died PER DAY which makes it the costliest war we have ever fought and we fought each other!

Lincoln said it best in his Gettysburg Address.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.