Memorial Day--May We Always Remember

On a day set aside to remember all those who fought for this country's freedom, let us say a prayer for those brave men and women killed, wounded or missing in action. They sacrificed much so that America could live.

Here is a listing of those Americans killed in action chronologically by campaign:

--25,324--Revolutionary War
----6,180--Indian Wars, Franco-American War, Barbary Wars
----2,260--War of 1812
----------9--Marquesas Islands, West Indies, Sumatra
-------704--Texas War of Independence
--13,283--Mexican War
----------6--Fiji, Texas Border Cortina War
562,130--Civil War
--------11--Japan, Formosa, Mexico and Korea (1871)
----2,893--Spanish American War
----4,460--Philippines War, Samoa, China Boxer Rebellion, Moro Campaigns
-------315--Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Haiti
116,708--World War I
------557--Russia North & Siberia Expedition, China Yangtze, Nicaragua
---2,529--North Atlantic Naval & Pearl Harbor
408,306--World War II
------688--Italy Trieste, China Civil War, Inchon
--54,246--Korean War
----------3--Matsu and Quemoy
--58,219--Vietnam
------268--Lebanon
--------72--Cuba, Panama Canal Riots, Dominican Republic
--------89--South Korea
--------34--Israel Attack/USS Liberty
---7,040--Tet (Vietnam)
--------36--Iran (Operation Desert One) & Terrorism
--------19--Grenada
------241--Beirut Lebanon
-------23--El Salvador, Honduras, and Libya
-----148--Persian Gulf
-------40--Panama
-----363--Persian Gulf, Operation Desert Shield/Storm
--------8--Somalia
-----277--Terrorism (1993 - 1996)
------17--Yemen, USS Cole
------44--Terrorism (2001)
-----165--Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan & Filipines)
---2,466--Operation Iraqi Freedom

While these numbers reflect those killed in action, let us not forget those wounded or missing in action.

Alexis de Tocqueville once said of this nation: “The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.”

May it ever be so.