Written by: Dan Besse
5/28/2007

We were honored this year by the presence and remarks from the daughter of Lawrence Joel, who was the first African-American winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and a native and resident of North Carolina.

At my church yesterday, we also continued a practice we started within the past year, of reading aloud the name and age of each American service member who died that week in the fighting overseas. It is intended to remind each of us that a war is today being fought in our names, and that real human beings are paying the price.

These sober memorials are typical of the observations taking place around our nation this year. This is a time for respect and reflection.

In America, our armed forces answer to our highest civilian authorities. It is the duty of all of us who are citizens of this nation, to demand in return accountability by those authorities for their decisions.

The members of our armed services protect us. We civilian citizens must protect them from being sent into peril unnecessarily or under false pretenses. We must also ensure that they receive the best equipment, training, and leadership during their service, that their families receive the support they need, and that they receive the best care and respect when they return.

There is no doubt that the our service men and women are meeting their duties to us. Are we meeting our responsibilities as a nation to them? That is the inescapable question this Memorial Day.

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