Remembering Our Fallen.

You might be surprised to learn that America has been involved in more than 200 military actions since its official Declaration of Independence.

Twelve of those actions were major, with 5 declared Wars; The War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, The Spanish-American War, and World Wars One and Two.

You might also be surprised to know that other major military actions were not declared wars.  They include the Korean "War," the VietNam Police Action, our Grenada and Panama incursions, and 20 years of Iraq and Afghanistan invasions and occupations.  

You should also know that America has lost more than 1,000,000 of its citizens in military actions since our founding.  The American Civil War was the deadliest, with more than 620,000 killed in action.  Another 53,000 were killed in WW1, with 63,114 additional deaths due to accidents and disease.  

We lost 405,399 in World War Two.  36,516 were lost in the Korean Police Action.  Again, it was not a war.  Nor was VietNam, where we lost another 58,209 of our best and brightest.  The so-called "War on Terror" in Iraq and Afghanistan, although undeclared, cost us another 7,078 of our soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen.  

The Memorial Day holiday we're all celebrating today is in remembrance of these men and women who have fallen in combat.  They died so that we could live in peace and freedom.  They shed their blood so that we could go on living.  Pursuing the American Dream.    

You might also be surprised to learn there are now more than 1,700,000 of our veterans of these military actions who've come home.  To their parents, their grandparents, their wives and husbands, and their children.  They're your neighbors.  They've come home to resume their lives, likely filled with a healthy dose of Patriotism.  Which they then share with their families and friends.

I grew up in a Country filled with Patriotism.  Because nearly everyone I knew had either just come home from the Big War, or knew someone who did.  We've lost that feeling.  We need to regain it, desperately.  37 countries now require their young citizens serve in their militaries.  Like Israel, and Switzerland, and the Netherlands, and South Korea.  We do not.  

We should.  

As you celebrate Memorial Day today, please take a moment and remember all those who laid down their lives so that you could enjoy yours.  And take a moment and thank God you won the Population Lottery.  

You're among the 5% of the Earth's population who were born and live in the Greatest Country on Earth.