Memorial Day Weekend

"God must have a special place for soldiers"

Go check out what I mean.

I hastily pieced together this video from mostly DoD photos:



Although Memorial Day honors all those who have fallen in service to this country, the video's content focuses on the current war on terror Overseas Contingency Operations. I wanted to convey the heartache and sacrifice as well as the pride felt by those military families, left behind by a son, a daughter, a niece, a nephew, a cousin, a mother, a father, a grandparent, a friend who dared put on a military uniform to defend you, me, and our own friends and family.

I intentionally juxtapositioned the poignancy of families left behind...their own children and wives...while going off to help other people's children and wives in a foreign land; of American lives lost, but also showing what those lives have gained for us and for the world.

Soldiers are heroes, plain and simple, answering a call that is greater than self.

I don't believe our military should ever be used for anything other than to serve in our own national security interests. The necessity of removing Saddam from power through war may be debatable; but what I am moved by in photos such as the ones in the video, is the selfless professionalism of the American soldier helping a budding democracy to flourish; the simple kindness of the American warrior toward Iraqi children. And for this, we are hated around the world; our muscular foreign policy and military interventionism roundly criticized; our previous president blamed for supposedly hurting our image abroad.

It is the nobility of the American soldier who is the best ambassador to other nations; who exemplifies our values and traditions. It is the American soldier who represents the best and brightest our country has to offer.

This post will be updated with my cross-post at Flopping Aces, later.

Please make note that over in the sidebar, you will find my Memorial Day videos for the previous 2 years. Please use them as you see fit.