Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 31, 1993 TAG: 9306010229
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
To his credit, Clinton plans to go anyway.
His long-ago opposition to the Vietnam War notwithstanding, he owes a debt of gratitude to those who courageously fought and died for this country. We all do.
And not just to the 58,000 of his generation who died in Vietnam, of course. The debt is owed to thousands upon thousands who died in service to America and freedom in other wars as well.
Clinton is the nation's commander-in-chief. It would be inexcusable for him not to honor America's fallen warriors - as well as the veterans who served and survived.
What excuse do the rest of us have?
Well, we're planning a picnic. Or a trip to the lake, or maybe to the beach. Or some folks are coming over and we're going to fire up the grill for a cookout.
The three-day weekend (wrapped around Memorial Day on Sunday, with the official observance on Monday) is the traditional kickoff of summer. For most of us, it is a time to recreate and celebrate - not study war.
But let's not forget: Much that we celebrate has been preserved for us by those who studied war, many to their graves.
This weekend, we are fortunate. At the moment, America is not at war. American troops have not been sent to intervene in Bosnia's bloody strife, a conflict Clinton calls "the problem from hell."
Our freedoms and human rights and democratic principles are not, at the moment, threatened by any foreign government.
But we shouldn't blithely assume that these will never again be challenged.
We shouldn't forget that on any given tomorrow the men and women in our armed services again may be called upon to make war, and to sacrifice their lives if necessary, in defense of this nation's freedoms and principles.
And we shouldn't forget those who've already paid that price.
by CNB