I have gasped my last breath on many a desolate stretch of
beach. For you…all of you, the children who play in the parks, the mothers who watch over them,
the fathers who struggle to sustain them.

There are those here who have belittled and reviled me, who have made a mockery of me and what I stand for. You, also, have I suffered and died for. I withstood heat, insects and disease so the right to dissent would be yours.

I endured the pain and terror of battle and the maiming of my body to ensure that you might worship as you please. I died in agony in order that you, no matter who or what you are, have the freedom to choose your own destinies.

AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN. Because I believe in the ideals that made this country what it is today… FREE. I love her with a deep and abiding love that transcends mere physical pain.

I AM A SOLDIER. Pray that I will always be there, for if I
disappear from this country, so will you.

-- Anonymous