REMEMBER

CHOOSE:

"FROM OUT OUR CROWDED CALENDAR
ONE DAY WE PLUCK TO GIVE;
IT IS THE DAY THE DYING PAUSE
TO HONOR THOSE WHO LIVE." - MCLANDBURGH WILSON

OR:

"YOUR SILENT TENTS OF GREEN
WE DECK WITH FRAGRANT FLOWERS;
YOUR HAS THE SUFFERING BEEN,
THE MEMORY SHALL BE OURS." - HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

CALL IT DECORATION DAY OR MEMORIAL DAY, BUT DON'T CALL THE DEAD VICTIMS. CALL SOME FALLEN SERVICEMEN, CALL OTHERS HEROES, CALL THEM ALL AMERICANS, BUT CALL NONE VICTIMS WHOSE LIVES HAD NO MEANING. "EVERY DEATH IS NOT A DEATH IN VAIN" EVEN THOUGH OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN "SATURATED WITH SELFHOOD," ACCORDING TO A WRITER. THEY ARE PATRIOTS EVEN THOUGH ANOTHER COLUMNIST REMINDS US THAT WE "STOPPED AMERICANIZING OURSELVES 40 YEARS AGO," DURING THE 1960'S REVOLUTION.

WERE THE 18,000 WHO DIED IN ALCOHOL-RELATED INCIDENTS ON U.S. ROADS IN 2006 - VICTIMS? WERE THEY PERSONS SACRIFICED OR DESTROYED IN THE PURSUIT OF SOME GOAL OR CEREMONY OR WERE THEY KILLED BY A MISFORTUNE OR CALAMITY BEYOND THEIR CONTROL? NO, NEITHER. PUTTING ONE'S SELF IN HARM'S WAY IS NOT TANTAMOUNT TO VICTIM STATUS. IN CONTRAST, LOST SOLDIERS DESERVE A REVEILLE OR A TAPS ON MEMORIAL DAY TO COMMEMORATE THEM AS VICTORS WHO VOLUNTARILY ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY.

FROM THE CHILD OF A MARINE WHO SERVED AND RETURNED. SEMPER FI.