At the southern tip of Point Loma more than 71,000 granite markers stand vigil. They guard the mouth of the San Diego Harbor, from where generations of Americans have departed our shores to fight for our freedoms and our way of life. This Memorial Day, we honor their ultimate sacrifice, and the courage of those now called to take up arms and serve their country in a time of war.
The solemn sight at the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is an eternal testament that the privilege of being an American hasn’t come freely – our nation was built upon the valor of volunteers, many of them young men and women, who lost their lives fighting for ideals greater than themselves. As home to a vibrant military community, San Diego knows the need to reflect upon their contributions, and recognize the roots of the prosperity and safety we enjoy today, even amidst the frustrating geo-politics and calamities of the post 9-11 world.
There is no escaping the reality that the global war on terrorism has tested our resolve as a city, and as a nation. Graphic television images of car bombings, mortar attacks and kidnap victims have appeared on the TV. For some residents, the toll from war has been immeasurable; military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have to date claimed the lives of more than 350 servicemen and women that once called San Diego home. These fallen heroes were our children, spouses, friends, and neighbors; their memory will be kept close to our hearts, and they will never be forgotten.
As the war continues and the endpoint is hard to discern, reasonable people can come to differing conclusions about the policies set by our nation’s leaders, and how best to move forward in these turbulent times. No matter what political persuasion or ideology we may bear, we must recognize the founding principles that bind us and unite us as one people – liberty, freedom, and equality under the law. In the dark corners of the world, human beings still fight and die for a chance to provide for their loved ones this same guiding light which we have been so fortunate to live under. When we find it within ourselves to stand for our principles in the international arena, and take decisive leadership in defense of our people, we give hope to those who have none.
Whatever the future may bring, San Diegans are proud of the men and women from our community that serve today and are eager for their safe return. They are far from home, fighting along a frontline that stretches across countless foreign countries, seas and arid landscapes. The risks are great, and the stakes are high, but with the best training and resources in the world, we can be confident that our Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen are ready for any mission that lies ahead.
Between the beach trips and barbeques this holiday weekend, I ask that readers pay a quiet tribute to the fallen, and those who fight today to keep us safe from harm. From Valley Forge to Hue, Baghdad to Omaha Beach, the ultimate sacrifices of our servicemen and women have sown for us a land of freedom, whose growing wealth is reaped by the younger generations. Our veterans gave us peace, fidelity, strength and love – and we must give them the same.
Though the war may divide us, we should not forget that our values and support for the troops that fight for them brings us together. This Monday, it is time to put aside the policy debates and the trappings of our modern lives for a moment, and look upon the rows of fallen warriors at Fort Rosecrans – remembering what could have been, and hope for what yet might be.
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