Saluting our heroes

The number of American armed service members who have died in our major wars — the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and the war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq — now stands at 1,247,920. Include all of the smaller but still deadly conflicts in our nation’s history and the number rises to 1,343,812.

This weekend we commemorate their deaths, we praise their service, we honor their sacrifice.

From the roads of Lexington to the hills of Gettysburg; from the sands of Iwo Jima to the Marine base at Khe Sanh; from the streets of Somalia to those of Baghdad, hundreds of thousands of our military men and women have fought and died under the flag of the United States. The red in that flag belongs to them. Our pride in that flag is inseparable from our pride in their great love for their country. Their ultimate sacrifice, and the awful pain their deaths must have brought to their families, preserved the blessings of freedom we enjoy today.

Amid the festivities this weekend — the ballgames and barbecues, parades and parties — let us all remember the founders of the feast, as it were. Let us solemnly remember our heroes.