The solemnity in honoring fallen American service men and women Monday on Memorial Day will be tempered by the dark reality that yet more of the nation's best will die in drawn-out Iraq and Afghanistan combat operations.
Since Civil War Gen. John Logan first proclaimed Memorial Day in 1868, Americans have gathered each May in cemeteries large and small across the land for moving tributes to generations of Americans who gave their lives in war after war. That wars have not yet brought enduring peace is beside the point. Those who have fallen are honored for answering the call to duty and doing their final best.
Although not as grand as the national rites at Arlington Memorial Cemetery, the Wood River Valley's two observances will offer residents time and places to express pride and appreciation for the sacrifices of those who achieved hero status by submitting their lives to their nation's needs.
These observances should be family affairs, parents introducing their children to the tradition of selflessness and sacrifice for the national good.
Ceremonies at the Ketchum and Hailey cemeteries will be at 11 a.m. on Monday. Color guards, the playing of "Taps" and a fly-over of A-10 tank-killer Thunderbolt jets from the Idaho Air National Guard's 124th Wing will highlight the observances.
Easy vows of patriotism roll off the tongues of Americans when crises grip the nation. One small way of proving it is to join others for a few moments at the final resting places of true patriots for a solemn salute of "Well done!".
