For those who live in the area of Franklin, TN. There's a Memorial Day Service at the 5 Points War Memorial at noon today. The Republican women of Williamson County (RWWC) will be serving food and beverages after the service. Yes, the food is free. I think it's hot dogs and brownies. I'll be there so come join us to honor and remember those who have given their life to protect our freedom and life here in the United States of America.

On this Memorial Day, I hope that our nation can put aside partisanship and political animosities to more fully celebrate the lives of a new, great generation of American warriors; the ordinary citizens who achieved extraordinary achievements and made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.

In September of 2004, nearing the end of a long deployment to Fallujah, the truck in which I was riding with my Marine platoon was hit by a massive suicide bomb. Seven brave American fighting men died instantly in addition to three patriotic Iraqi soldiers. Along with five others, I survived and was evacuated.  After a lengthy rehabilitation, I visited with all seven families of my fallen men. My trip took me from Lafayette , Louisiana , to Concord , California , to Washington D.C. , and places in between.
 
Each visit was difficult, as I was apprehensive of the attitudes of these bereaved families. The families that I got to know during these visits are indicative of the warriors that they raised: spirited, courageous, and noble. I found that while their grief was unfathomable, it was transcended by their pride in knowing that their sons died in the name of freedom and in the pursuit of helping others. They died so others could live. To this day I keep in touch with these families. What they want most for their fallen sons, is not for their deaths to be pitied as a tragedy or tallied as a statistic, but that their lives to be celebrated for who they were, what they achieved and the character they carried in the face of adversity.
 
While anniversaries, birthdays and endless milestones big and small in the lives of their children, spouses, parents and friends will remind us of their absence, Memorial Day in particular should serve as a unique day to remind us of their contributions and their continued presence in our individual and national life. We as a nation are stronger because of them not just in terms of our own security, but more importantly, because their sacrifices are evidence that we remain a nation of honorable men and women willing to place duty above convenience and death before tyranny.

Celebrating those who gave chase to evil - Wade Zirkle, Townhall.com