Monday, May 28, 2012

1,343,812

One million, three hundred and and forty-three thousand, eight hundred and twelve. That's the number (source: Wikipedia) of American soldiers fallen, from the Revolutionary war to this day. Over half of them from the Civil War (and ponder that the next time someone is pipe-dreaming TEOTAWKI).

Perspective? The world-record-size facilities at the Indy 500, the world's largest single-day sporting event, hold approximately 657,000; so that's two Indy 500s filled to capacity with men (and some women) who stepped up and paid the steepest price.

They didn't do it just so you could have the day off. Whatever you may think of the wars in which they fought, remember the fallen on this day.
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7 comments:

  1. wolfwalkerMay 28, 2012 at 8:50 AM

    Whatever you may think of the wars in which they fought, remember the fallen on this day.

    Agreed.

    My problem is, and has been for years, that nothing I can say or do or think of seems adequate, on such a day, thinking of such men and women.

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  2. Robert FowlerMay 28, 2012 at 10:08 AM

    It seems that too many have forgotten what today is about. To most people anymore it's National BBQ day.

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  3. Carl-BearMay 28, 2012 at 4:50 PM

    Too bad Congress hasn't valued the sacrifice enough to bother with a simple roll-call vote to declare any of those wars in the past 70 years. Why, it's almost as if... they know it's BS.

    If it's important enough (for someone else) to die for, it's important enough to vote on. Of course, there's a corollary there people don't want to think about.


    (And yeah, I'm a veteran; the feds even tell me I'm a _war_ veteran... in one of those not-worth-voting-on wars. More than one, in fact.)

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  4. Fuzzy CurmudgeonMay 28, 2012 at 5:19 PM

    We were on the road today and noted that, at noon, Sirius/XM played "Taps" on all channels and thanked all who serve and served.

    Probably reached more people than any government proclamation.

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  5. Fuzzy CurmudgeonMay 28, 2012 at 5:21 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Roberta XMay 28, 2012 at 6:40 PM

    Carl, War is a racket -- but the fallen are nonetheless gone. As you correctly note, Congress hasn't bothered to declare their wars for a couple of generations, but they keep on sending out the troops. I wouldn't cross the road to backhand a Congresscritter but I'll most certainly spare a day for the guys who shouldered the burden.

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  7. Roberta XMay 28, 2012 at 6:40 PM

    Nathan: I suspect you're right.

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