Dear Friends,
116,516 in World War I. 405,399 in World War II. 58,307 in
Vietnam. 6,845 in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These figures represent the number of
Americans who have lost their lives as a result of war.
The numbers are staggering. As a civilian, it’s hard to
fathom this immense loss of life. Losing the life of one loved one can be
devastating – I can’t begin to fathom the sorrow experienced by the hundreds of
thousands of families who have lost loved ones in the war.
Memorial Day is a sobering day. It’s when many Americans
take time to reflect on the many souls who have sacrificed themselves to
protect our country. These brave souls sacrificed themselves to protect our way
of life, our democracy, and our values. They died to protect their families,
their friends, and complete strangers, like you and me.
Let’s read that again. Our soldiers sacrificed themselves
for you, me, and all Americans. They didn’t sacrifice themselves for Democrats,
Republicans, or a specific political party. They sacrificed themselves for
America.
Our country is politically polarized - different political
parties never seem to agree on anything, especially on war. However, on
Memorial Day, it’s important to set aside our political rhetoric and to stand
united in solemn appreciation of our fallen soldiers.
Standing together in unity doesn’t violate your freedom of
speech or the right to debate.
Choosing to set
aside political differences in appreciation of brave servicemen and women is exercising our right to national unity.
For one day out of the year, let us set aside our political
differences and remember the people who made all of our freedoms possible.
God Bless,
Jonathan A. Lu
