Heroes forever: POW/MIA ceremonies remind us all that some are still not home ...

Their service is decades-old now -- men who braved the jungles of southeast Asia.

And although there are many heroes home to tell the stories of courage from that conflict, there are still some whose life stories will never be told and whose families, still, do not have the closure they crave.

They are the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who never made it home.

And those heroes from the 1960-70s are not the only ones. With every war comes casualties and prisoners as well as those who are unaccounted for.

The POW/MIA ceremonies are meant not only to honor the courage and strength of the prisoners of war who made it home, but to remind this nation of those who died at the hands of their captors or who simply remain missing in action. And it is important that we never forget that many of them are still out there.

War is a terrible thing -- even when it is necessary. It takes young men and women from their families and sends them into harm's way. Most will come home, but for some, a battle marks the end of their lives.

As much as we should support and defend this great nation from its foes and make sure that we fulfill our responsibility to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, we should always remember the cost -- the lives we have lost and will lose when we choose to enter into a battle.

Remembering is the best way to make sure that stories of courage are not forgotten, and that we forever appreciate the sacrifices made so we can be free.

Published in Editorials on September 18, 2010 10:17 PM