“The United States and the freedom, for which it stands, the freedom for which they died, must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost; it imposes a burden. And just as they whom we commemorate were willing to sacrifice, so too must we -- in a less final, less heroic way -- be willing to give of ourselves.”

- Ronald Reagan

A nation is forged and molded by great men. For sure, our nation was.

These men receive the glory and the fame and are quoted on a daily basis.

But the true measure of a nation’s strength is its military, composed of equally great men and women. Men and women who just do their duty and who receive no glory accept an occasional welcome home party, or the sad mournful sounds of taps breaking the still air around their flag-draped coffins.

Every person who has ever put a uniform on to defend the principles that our founding fathers set forth to establish this nation was and is a hero.

Every drop of blood that has been shed by these heroes has made it possible for us to live in a free society and for that on this Memorial Day we are grateful.

We salute every one of our readers who has been or is a hero and we thank you for your service.