Memorial Day

I'm glad that Memorial Day is not just about sales and picnics -- although I think both are great. It's good to have a day set aside that reminds us that others have made the ultimate sacrifice to provide the life we enjoy.

I read a story about a soldier from a small town in New York that gave his life about a year ago by falling on a grenade to save his buddies in Iraq. He's a great example of all the others, even those whose action may not seem as heroic. There have been those in Iraq whose deaths have been termed "accidental," -- vehicle accidents or whatever being the cause instead of enemy action. But the truth is, their death was the result of stepping up to the plate for the rest of us, and today I think of them too.

This war has its detractors, but that's not the point. Whether you think this war is a good thing, whether you think it's justified or not, the sacrifice that others are making for us are just as real. Just as it was for our friend Bill Reese and all the others who served and died in Viet Nam.

It's good to stop and remember their sacrifices, and to remember that all wars have a terrible price. And even to remember that Memorial Day originally was established to remember all who died during the Civil War.

So amid the shopping and picnics, spend a moment remembering both the sacrifice and terrible cost.