Happy Memorial Day

Fire of Liberty

As you and your family look in reference to the soldiers and veterans who have defended this nation's shores and the soldiers who defend it today, I wanted to give a bit of holiday reading.

To begin with, here's a wonderful Q&A between National Review Online's editor Kathryn Jean Lopez and Stephen Mansfield over his wonderful new book The Faith of the American Soldiers. I'd say that if you want to see a group of people who's heart is truly with the Lord then it's a soldier who risks their place lives on the line everyday in Iraq and Afghanistan. Amongst the various topics discussed in this Q&A, the one that caught my attention was over the concept of honor on the battlefield. See for yourself:

NRO: What does honor mean for the American on the battlefield?

Mansfield: Honor on the battlefield results from living by a code that rescues the warrior from barbarism and elevates the profession of arms. It means understanding soldiering as a spiritual service as much as a martial role. Honorable soldiers are devoted to the moral objectives of their nation in war, are willing to lay their lives on an altar of sacrifice, are courageous in subduing the enemy yet compassionate to civilians and prisoners, are devoted to a godly esprit de corps, and are eager to master the art of arms by way of fulfilling a calling.

It's great that people like Mansfield are around to write such an excellent book to give us a better understanding of our servicemen.

Second, here's a great piece by Jim Lacey over at National Review Online on the devotion of our commanders to their soldiers. Instead of portraying our officers as cold or mere war-mongers who throw its soldiers to the meat-grinder in the same vein as they are in movies like Paths to Glory, Platoon, Hamburger Hill or Gallipoli, Lacey gives us a more accurate portrayal of our commanders as being the fatherly type who actually love their soldiers. No matter what the conditions are around them, the commanders in our military will not rest until they see that their men are safe and sound. Luckily, Lacey has been able to look beyond the MSM fog and has written a pretty sound piece. Lacey's piece shows that our commanders are the same caring commanders and officers that we see in movies like To Hell and Back, They Were Expendable, The Longest Day, The Big Red One, Patton (might seem gruff but cared for men) and MacArthur (He anguished over the fate of his men in the Philippines and throughout the Pacific. Thanks to Lacey for bringing this fact to the attention of his readers.

Also, check out several pieces by Myrna Blyth -Mother of a Naval Reserve lieutenant and NRO contributor - over at National Review Online, which provides a great snapshot of our soldiers who go through hell defending our nation and are some outstanding citizens in their own right. Just check here and here to see her wonderful dedication to our soldiers.

Finally, check out this good piece by Ralph Kinney Bennett over at Tech Central Station on the importance of Memorial Day.

So enjoy all of these great pieces and have a wonderful Memorial Day. Oh, I almost forgot, God Bless our fallen soldiers, veterans and current soldiers who put their lives on the line defending us all. I think the best way to set our focus on the meaning behind Memorial Day is the chorus of Billy Ray Cyrus's Some Gave All:

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all