Memorial Day
May 18, 2025 at 3:46 p.m.
Editor, Times-Union:
As Memorial Day draws closer we need to remember the true meaning of this day. It is much more than cook outs and car racing.
What it is really about remembering all the brave men and women who gave their lives on battle fields around the world, and all the veterans of American who were fortunate to return home.
In my lifetime there have been four major wars. Let me remind what ultimate sacrifice is. In World War Two there were 405,399 killed. In the Korean War there were 36,516 killed. In the Vietnam war there were 58,209 killed. In the Persian Gulf War there were 382 killed. That is a total of 500,506 who paid the ultimate price for American freedom.
Let me add this very important fact to this story of what Memorial Day is all about. Every one of these servicemen listed above made a vow to “uphold” and “defend” the Constitution of the United States of America. My veteran wife and I made that same vow in the early 1950s.
This vow is also made by our president and, our Congress. What breaks my heart is to observe how our president ignores a Supremes Court’s ruling, thus breaking the Constitution. Congress is doing the same for not doing their duty for not taking action. Enough said!
Ronald Bradford
Warsaw, via email
Editor, Times-Union:
As Memorial Day draws closer we need to remember the true meaning of this day. It is much more than cook outs and car racing.
What it is really about remembering all the brave men and women who gave their lives on battle fields around the world, and all the veterans of American who were fortunate to return home.
In my lifetime there have been four major wars. Let me remind what ultimate sacrifice is. In World War Two there were 405,399 killed. In the Korean War there were 36,516 killed. In the Vietnam war there were 58,209 killed. In the Persian Gulf War there were 382 killed. That is a total of 500,506 who paid the ultimate price for American freedom.
Let me add this very important fact to this story of what Memorial Day is all about. Every one of these servicemen listed above made a vow to “uphold” and “defend” the Constitution of the United States of America. My veteran wife and I made that same vow in the early 1950s.
This vow is also made by our president and, our Congress. What breaks my heart is to observe how our president ignores a Supremes Court’s ruling, thus breaking the Constitution. Congress is doing the same for not doing their duty for not taking action. Enough said!
Ronald Bradford
Warsaw, via email