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Today we in the United States recognize our debt of gratitude to those who have given their lives for the cause of freedom while in the military service of our country.

Many years ago when Mrs. MZM and I visited Washington D.C., we spent most of our time visiting the various Smithsonian Museums (there are many buildings that comprise the Smithsonian). Most of them are located in the area called the Mall, a long stretch of parkland that begins at the Lincoln Memorial and ends at the U.S. Capital Building.

Along with the museum buildings there are many memorials, including the Washington Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and of course the afore-mentioned Lincoln Memorial. But the one that moved us the most was the Vietnam Memorial.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit, when I first heard about it and what it looked like, I thought it seemed, well, like it wasn’t enough. I mean, it’s a wall, basically. The names of the soldiers who were killed during the Vietnam War were inscribed on a wall in alphabetical order. That’s pretty much it.

Like I said, it sure didn’t seem like enough to me. I mean, these guys gave their lives over there. Surely there ought to be something a little more, I don’t know, more profound than just a simple wall.

But on that particular afternoon, we spent some time walking the entire length of that wall. It was, if I may say so, one of the most moving experiences of our lives.

The Wall is about 250 feet long, and starts out low, growing not upward, but downward below ground level to a depth of about 10 feet. The effect is to isolate the visitor walking in front of it in such a way that normal city noises almost cannot be heard. It introduces a sortof quiet, sacred feel to the experience.

The sheer number of names is almost overwhelming. The total number (now 58,260, including 1,200 listed as missing) becomes no longer just a number, but a visual testimony of vast proportions. The fact was, walking the entire length of the wall and reading name after name was far more moving than I would have expected.

One of the most interesting characteristics of the Wall is the smooth, polished surface. Composed of black granite, it reflected our images quite clearly, albeit dimly. As we walked past panel after panel, my reflection seemed to quietly remind me of the fact that these were ordinary people, and I was no different a person than they. It seemed to connect me somehow, in some indefinable way.

I’ll forever remember those few hours we spent there that day. It was a sobering reminder that the freedoms we experience here in the United States are not free; in fact, the cost can sometimes seem overwhelming.

I believe some wars were and are necessary, and some were or are not. But that’s not the point. This memorial does not, in fact, honor a war. No, it honors the memories of the fine men and women who gave their lives in the service of their country - that’s what we honor on this day.

Although I’ve never been called upon to serve my country in the military, I will always honor those who have done so, those who still do, and those who may be called upon to do so in the future. I never take lightly the freedoms we enjoy because of them, and to them I say -

- THANK YOU!

(Painting: Vietnam Reflections, by Lee Teter)

[For more details on the Vietnam Memorial, visit the website here.]

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