Re: Leave No Soldier Unhonored

Date: February 22, 2004

"Leave no Soldier unhonored

by Spc. Jason L. Johnson
Pentagram staff writer

The preacher gives his benediction. Taps is played. The flag is folded. Down on one knee, the noncommissioned officer passes Old Glory on to the next of kin. It's the symbol of everything the Soldier stood for -- freedom, loyalty, duty, selfless-service, honor ...

There's few days that go by when we don't hear about a Soldier killed in the war on terror. We've gotten so used to hearing it, America is desensitized to what's going on.

Everyone is guilty of the changes in priorities with one exception -- the families directly affected by the war. The child whose father or mother will not come home, will remember. The father who won't be able to play catch with his son again or say "how about those Bears?" will remember. The mother whose daughter will never call again and ask for advice, will remember. But as a nation in general, we do not remember.

We have been focused on other things -- A-Rod being picked up by the Yankees, a presidential candidate has a questionable background. Or, more importantly, who's going to be the next American Idol?

We've placed the war in the back of our minds. No matter what happens in this country or who's going to be the next reality TV star, the war hasn't gone away. It's not gone, just forgotten.

Even I am guilty of forgetting. I sat down at a table and had lunch with three Soldiers recently who were injured in the war on terror. One of the Soldiers looked me in the eye and said, "I'm disappointed. People believe now the Soldiers injured in this war were injured in Iraq. I was injured in Afghanistan. It's like they've forgotten the war isn't only in Iraq."

It had never occurred to me, but we do still have forces there. And, he was right -- Americans are forgetting there's a war still going on in Afghanistan. We are a nation at war. We continue to fight. And, Soldiers carry on whether at home or abroad -- the mission must continue.

"I will never leave a fallen comrade," the Soldiers creed says, but that is not the only thing we must do.

On Memorial Day the flag is flown at half-mast in remembrance and honor of those who have fallen in the past. We honor prisoners of war, veterans and those who're missing in action. Our nation has thankfully set aside a day for these people to be remembered.

But, we should also remember the fallen Soldiers of now -- the men and women called upon to extend the hand of freedom.

I'm not talking about being a nation at peace and some Soldier randomly dies from an accident. Accidents are a part of life and they always will be.

I'm talking about being a nation at war, while people risk their lives for our freedom everyday. A fallen Soldier now serves as a segue into local sports on the nightly news. They consider breaking news to be a water main break on 5th and D Street.

If life and freedom is priceless, then why is a water main more important to us then the cost of life and freedom. Let us remember when a Soldier dies in combat, in this time of war, to fly Old Glory at half-mast. Let us be able to say, "We left no Soldier behind and we left none unhonored and unremembered."

And, let the American people across the nation look at every flag and wonder why it is flown at half-mast. Let his curiosity drive them to the answer and know someone important has died -- an American hero.

And when they see that flag flown at half-mast they'll remember that today, someone has died for us.

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