Honoring Our Heroes

From Rick Santorum.com

Sometimes we tend to forget how fortunate we are to live in this country, free Americans living in a powerfully free society. And we can forget that for our freedom and the freedom of every American that follows in our footsteps, we can thank the brave men and women who fought, and those who died, for our country.

We simply cannot thank our veterans and their families enough for what they have sacrificed for us -- the debt that we owe them is far too great. But every year at the end of May, our nation pauses to collectively acknowledge their contributions, to express our gratitude, and to remember those that were lost. We call it Memorial Day, and this day of remembrance was born right here in Pennsylvania.

This holiday was first celebrated during the Civil War as a day for Americans to pay homage to the Union Soldiers who perished in the long struggle to abolish slavery and preserve our nation. In 1864, a few residents of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, a small town in Centre County, journeyed to the local cemetery to pay respect to their friends and family members who were lost in the war. When they returned to repeat their tribute the following year, much of the town joined them, a parade of citizens honoring their fallen friends. Thus, we have Memorial Day.

While the nature of Memorial Day has changed in the many years since then, its significance has not diminished. We no longer just remember the Civil War, but observe the lives and sacrifices of all who passed away in defense of America and her principles. We celebrate the freedoms we enjoy and recognize the hard truth that there is a cost to those freedoms, a cost that is borne by those brave souls who have taken up arms to protect us. And we take this chance, as a nation, to say thank you to those who served, both those who have passed on and those who are still with us.

This Memorial Day, we have a new generation of veterans returning home and joining the millions from past conflicts. As Americans, we have the incredible good fortune to stand on the shoulders of our armed forces. Our nation has long leaned on the strength and character of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, and we do so today. They keep us safe. They make us proud. And this weekend, we can let them know just how very much that means to us.

It's unfortunate that in today's America we generally celebrate Memorial Day with half-priced mattresses and 0% APR on cars.

Thank you to all our soldiers past and present for their sacrifices to protect our freedoms.