We remember the few who've served, fought and died

Since the founding of our great nation, we've stood on the shoulders of the few troops who've served, fought and died for us.

Memorial Day is a time we pause to honor our nation's war dead.  It is indeed a privilege to be an American citizen and therefore know and experience liberty. I was born in the late 1960's under the watch of the Vietnam era veterans who were drafted; meaning they did not volunteer to serve in the US Armed Forces. We experience liberty because of them and all of the brave men and women before them who've served, fought and died on foreign soils and within our borders.

During this article, we will not debate:

• Whether the wars and conflicts were justified, won, or conducted above reproach
• Whether the wars and conflicts were in accordance with the constitution
• The character of those who burn American flags and effigies
• The legal rights of those who choose not to stand when the National Anthem is played
• The number of people wishing to immigrate to the US
• The role of women and other minorities in our armed forces
• The current development of gender neutral military occupational specialties 

Today, this piece is about the brave men and women who willing and unwillingly gave their lives on our behalf. In other words, this is not about you, this is about our war dead. 

Freedom is definitely not free

 I volunteered to serve in the greatest Army on the planet honorably for over 27 years and gained insights on the phrase "Freedom is not free" when I deployed at the ripe old age of 23 as a Second Lieutenant in 1990. I served as a postal company executive officer in Saudi Arabia in support of the military Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm.  This was when the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein attempted to take over the sovereign nation of Kuwait.  I gained a great appreciation for our dominant military capabilities as the US Air Force, US Marines Corps, US Navy, and US Army worked closely together to thwart the dictator's efforts in about 100 hours. We stand on the shoulders of the Gulf War era veterans.

I hold dear the memory of my peer and mentor, Major Dwayne Williams who perished on September 11, 2001 while performing his duties in the Pentagon.  In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the world trade center and the Pentagon, I assume you were just as proud as I was of the Soldiers who volunteered to serve.  They knew the perils and the likely danger they might face.  They were very well aware that they could make immeasurable sacrifices. Now, we stand on the shoulders of the few troops who've served, fought and died on foreign soils and within our borders from the Global War on Terror era. 

I have always known the type of  liberty that Patrick Henry so aptly pinned in his persuasive ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death’ speech on March 23, 1775 just prior to the American Revolutionary War.  When Saddam Hussein was found by US Army soldiers hiding in a spider hole in 2003 and summarily executed in 2006 at the hands of the Iraqi people, I realized that, prior to that moment, the citizens of Iraq hadn’t known the same measure of liberty as Americans. I hoped that they would have the opportunity to truly know liberty.  

According to the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Census Bureau, and various other record keeping organizations, more than a forty-three million military troops have perished during America's wars: 

• American Revolution (1775-1783)
• War of 1812 (1812-1815)
• Indian Wars (approximately 1817-1898)
• Mexican War (1846-1848)
• Civil War (1861-1865)
• Spanish-American War (1898-1902)
• World War I (1917-1918)
• World War II (1940 -1945)
• Korean War (1950 - 1953)
• Vietnam War (1964-1975)
• Gulf War (1990-1991)
• Global War on Terror (2011 - Current)

According to the Department of Defense and the US Census Bureau approximately 12 percent of the American population served in the armed forces during World War II. Although fewer troops served during the Vietnam War era, the men drafted were from every aspect of our society. 

From the American Revolutionary War until the Vietnam War, most Americans were likely to have been personally connected to someone who had previously served in the armed forces or who was currently serving.  

Today, out of a nation of 321 million people, 1.4 million Americans are serving on active duty as a proud member of our armed forces, and another 1 million serve in the reserves, according to the Department of Defense. This small figure means that less than 1 percent of our population has served in our armed forces.  Most Americans are removed from the continuous military requirements in support of the ongoing threats throughout the world. The fact that we have very few Americans who serve creates a distance between Americans and the military. The distance is not born of any nefarious intent, it is simply due to the fact that most Americans do not have an immediate family member currently serving. The 24 hour news cycle coupled with our busy daily routines creates less awareness about our currently serving armed forces members. 

 After the Civil War, Americans were far from disengaged from the military. The war Between The States and its terrible cost gave rise to new traditions and social norms in how citizens honored fallen soldiers. The casualty figures were so great, nearly every citizen was directly touched by the conflict. Families and friends of soldiers who lost their lives chose to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by spending a day of the year decorating their graves. Decorating the graves of fallen soldiers was a long-standing tradition, but the establishment of military cemeteries around the nation transformed the practice into a community event.

On May 30, 1868, the first official Decoration Day was declared by General John A. Logan and observed at Arlington National Cemetery. Volunteers decorated the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers.

During World War II, Decoration Day was expanded and renamed Memorial Day to honor all Americans who died in military service. The day became a national holiday in 1971.

All gave some (sacrifice) and some gave all. 

One of the highlights of my military career was the opportunity to serve as a Battalion Commander during combat operations. 

We enjoyed a multitude of accomplishments during our 15 month deployment to Iraq.  We also had some indelible experiences that can only be categorized as awful.  I still cannot believe we lost two Soldiers.  Staff Sergeant Lillian Clamens, 35, died from wounds sustained during a mortar attack on Victory Base Complex October 10, 2007. She died a week before her arduous 12 month tour in Iraq was scheduled to end.  Sergeant First Class John Tobiason, 42, died November 28, 2007 from wounds sustained after a round hit him as he was standing outside of his tent after he extended his 12 month reserve tour for three months to redeploy back to the US with the Battalion Headquarters element.

This was a tumultuous tour.  We had seven soldiers earn Purple Hearts and 36 Combat Action Badges awarded.  Indeed so many of our soldiers were impacted by these events. I chronicled our deployment in the book, "Bronco Strong: A Memoir of the Last Deployed Personnel Services Battalion."

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men and women stand ready to do violence on their behalf. I am honored to have supported those rough men and women.  They are somebody’s mother, father, son, daughter, husband, wife, aunt, uncle or friend and they matter.  Today we honor the few who've served, fought and died for the many.

I proudly render a proper salute with the more than 23 million living veterans  because  all gave some (sacrifice) and some gave all.  God bless you and may God continue to bless our great nation. 

I look forward to learning who you are honoring on Memorial Day. Please share with me via email at [email protected] or share your names in the comments below. 

Colonel Angela M. Odom, US Army Retired

P.S. I attribute some parts of my curated article to Laura Santhanan , a data producer for PBS News hour.