Memorial Day 2009: Paying our respects to those who have died for our country

"Those who rest in these fields fought in every American war. They overthrew an empire and gave birth to revolution. They strained to hold a young union together. They rolled back the creeping tide of tyranny, and stood post through a long twilight struggle. And they took on the terror and extremism that threatens our world's stability."

- President Barack Obama, at Arlington National Cemetery, May 25th, 2009

Today, on Memorial Day, we commemorate and honor the many brave Americans who have died in the service of this great country so that we could all be free.

Here's a roundup of some of the better Memorial Day-related posts and articles we've come across:

• Telling the End of the War Stories (A great piece by Mark Berman for The Washington Post describing what it's like to cover military funerals)
• MSNBC has a photo slideshow of today's commemoration ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.
• More than a Long Weekend (A column on the meaning of Memorial Day by Kathy Roth-Douquet, one of the founders of Blue Star Families)
• At Camp Pendleton, every day is Memorial Day (The Los Angeles Times' Tony Perry documents how Marines remember their fallen brothers and sisters)
• Spending for Pleasure is Easier than Remembering the Pain of our Veterans (National awareness is a precursor to shared sacrifice, notes Sandy Cook of Veterans Today)
• Memorial Day Miracle At 'The Wall' (A moving story from National Public Radio's Morning Edition. Audio available - 3 minutes, seventeen second clip. )
• Learn about Beyond Tribute, an effort to raise money to help raise money for veterans' charities over Memorial Day and Veterans' Day weekends.
• Read a Memorial Day message from Air Force Gen. Arthur J. Lichte (Commander, Air Mobility Command).

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