Lest We Forget


In my lifetime we have had over 60,000 Americans die in the service of their country. May our country never forget the great sacrifice made by these brave men and women. Today I pray for those they left behind: their families and friends who have had to continue on with a part of them missing.

And may we also remember the more than 200,000 people wounded in that same time. Many returning home with lifelong difficulties and struggles because of their willingness to protect us. We must never fail to help them through these struggles. We owe them a debt that is well worth the cost of medical and rehabilitation expenses.

And let us not forget the millions who returned from combat without any physical injuries yet injured just the same. Many with emotional pain and suffering, memories of horrors, and nightmares of things we cannot even imagine. Many of these men and women, especially in Vietnam, returned to a country that had turned their anger at politicians and political motives into a hatred of the men and women who served their country with valor. This left them with undue guilt and shame that many continue to carry as a burden today. We need to let them know how proud we are of them.

Pray daily for our men and women continuing to stand on the front line to protect our freedoms and prevent tyranny from spreading around the globe. May God bless them, protect them, and bring them home safely.

Fatalities and Injury figures based on this Wiki entry.

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