Charles M. Province puts it this way.
“IT IS THE SOLDIER” by Charles M. Prince

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows us to burn the flag.” (C. Prince)

On Memorial Day we remember those who died in all the wars Americans fought in; such as in the Two World Wars, those who died at Iwo Jima and Normandy and, of course, those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.

Can you imagine having a day to remember those who have died? That’s what Memorial Day is. It’s the day in the year when we remember the fallen.

American Soldiers who have died in our wars

Revolutionary War     25,324
Civil War                    498,332
World War I                116,710
World War II               407,316
 -Normandy [D-day]   6,603
Korean War              54,546
Vietnam War             58,098
First Gulf War            293
Iraq War                     4,424
Afghanistan                1,461
[Found on www.antiwar.com and www.answers.com and www.glabalsecurity.org and www.washingtonpost.com]
And tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. America calls for a moment of silence to remember and honor those who gave their lives for our nation. .