Monday, May 25, 2020

MEMORIAL DAY 2020: Freedom Is Not Free


FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze;
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud;
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He’d stand out in any crowd.

I thought… how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers’ tears?

How many pilots’ planes shot down
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers’ graves
No, Freedom is not Free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still;
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill;

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant “Amen”
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend;

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No. Freedom is not Free!

©Copyright 1981 by Kelly Strong

This poem offers a sobering reminder of the true cost of freedom. Throughout our nation’s history, men and women from all walks of life have answered the call to serve, and many have made the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow citizens. As we observe Memorial Day, the members of the House Republican Caucus join with Americans everywhere in saluting our fallen soldiers and the loved ones they left behind. Their service and sacrifices will never be forgotten.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Marking the 75th Anniversary of VE Day


Today marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the day the United States and its Allies agreed to Germany’s unconditional surrender during World War II, marking the end of hostilities in Europe. Although the war would continue in the Pacific for several more months until Japan’s surrender, VE Day signaled that one of history’s deadliest armed conflicts was finally nearing an end after the loss of millions of lives. Today, we remember and honor members of America’s Greatest Generation for their service and sacrifice, and salute those who continue to serve our nation.
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