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This Speakout has not been edited

By Sen. Wayne Allard

Memorial Day allows us the opportunity to reflect on the brave men and women throughout our nation's history who have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve our freedoms. Undoubtedly, we would not be the great nation that we are today had it not been for those who answered the call to duty, fought and defeated our enemies. For their service and sacrifice, we as Americans are eternally grateful and I encourage every Coloradan to take the time this Memorial Day to honor our heroes.

Originally known as "Decoration Day," Memorial Day was recognized three years after the Civil War ended - May 5, 1868. The first large observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery where children decorated the graves of over 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried on what is now some of America's most hollowed ground.

This year, I have the honor and privilege of spending Memorial Day on hollowed grounds in Europe. I will join Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson, Senator Larry Craig, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, and other colleagues on a trip to pay respects to our fallen American service members buried in France, Luxemburg, and Italy. I will stand beside the graves of many Coloradans who sacrificed everything on the battlefields of Europe in World War I and World War II. In total, more than 100,000 American Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines are buried in American cemeteries in Europe between the two wars. These heroes, who perished in order to keep the U.S. free of tyranny and whose actions defined the "greatest generation," never had the opportunity to make it home.

As I honor our veterans overseas, I ask that you join me this Memorial Day by honoring our veterans at home. I encourage all to visit the final resting places of our servicemen and women following in the Memorial Day tradition. Colorado has two National Veterans Cemeteries: Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver and Ft. Lyon National Cemetery in Las Animas. Additionally, Colorado's State Veterans Cemeteries are located in Grand Junction and Monte Vista. With the combined efforts of Colorado's Congressional Delegation, we are fighting for and intend to bring a third National Cemetery to Colorado to the Pikes Peak Region. This cemetery would be a fitting tribute to those veterans who have given so much to the nation and to Colorado.

This Memorial Day, remember not only our fallen heroes, but all of our servicemen and women who fight for the freedoms that we enjoy today. Let us join together on "Decoration Day" and let America's bravest know how grateful we are for their sacrifices.

READER COMMENTS

God Bless our fallen servicemen and women and give comfort to their families who have and are enduring the ultimate sacrifice and loss.

You mean today we can acknowledge the war dead and their sacrifice--not merely sweep it under the rug with glib platitudes like "Freedom isn't free," or actually insulting their memory with irrelevant statistics like "More Americans have been killed in auto accidents in the last year than in Iraq" (which is supposedly "putting it in perspective")--without being accused of "aiding and comforting the enemy"?

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