Remember our heroes

The silence speaks in reverence.

At Gettysburg and Vicksburg. At Arlington and more than 100 other national cemeteries.

In the hulk of the Arizona at the bottom of Pearl Harbor.

In the fields near the beaches at Normandy.

Today we pause, we pray, we remember and we give thanks.

At these hallowed sites, where grave marker after grave marker stretches in neat rows just as the soldiers buried there marched in straight lines while serving their country, the cost of freedom becomes self-evident.

If you could ask any one of the fallen heroes, he would tell you that mankind should see and learn.

War destroys. Peace creates.

But from the very beginning, man has turned to violence when negotiation fails to bring wanted results, like a bully in a school yard who wants the football.

America has been the reluctant one. Blessed with abundant resources, nothing suits us more than to be left alone, to build and be free.

But time and time again, what we hold dear has been threatened.

Each time, American heroes, privates and generals, seamen and admirals, have answered their nation's call to protect what we treasure.

And whether those who fought enjoyed the fruits of instant victory, such as the conclusion of World War II, or felt the frustration and confusion of Vietnam and perhaps, most recently, Iran and Afghanistan, the vigilance of the American armed forces has shielded this nation.

But not without cost.

On Thursday,the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, placed American flags on the gravestones and niches of hundreds of thousands of service members laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery and in Washington’s U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery.

Today, Taps will be played with greater meaning.

And a nation salutes.

The editorials in this column represent the opinions of The News-Star’s editorial board, composed of General Manager and Executive Editor Kathy Spurlock, Engagement and Community Content Editor Hope Young, Watchdog and Storytelling Coach Mark Henderson and Business and Politics Reporter Greg Hilburn.