30 May 2022 — 0458 mdt
As we honor the fallen, let us contemplate
what service and honor are and require
By James Conner
Today we mourn the men and women who died while serving in the armed forces of the United States. They did not join the military to die, but they joined knowing that doing their jobs could result in their deaths.
Yesterday, David French, attorney, author, and combat veteran, made that point in a thoughtful, provocative, essay, To Do the Right Thing, You Might Have to Die:
When a man or woman puts on a uniform and straps on a gun—whether they’re a police officer or a soldier — they should be making a profound declaration. They’re willing to die to protect their community and their nation. They don’t want to die, of course. But they’re willing to pay the “last full measure of devotion” if that moment arrives.
That requires considerable courage, courage that was not exhibited by the law enforcement officers in Uvalde, Texas, who dithered an hour before storming the classroom where Salvatore Ramos was murdering schoolchildren.
Not everyone agrees with French. But he presents the argument that wearing the uniform carries with it a willingness to put oneself in harm’s way as clearly as it ever has been presented. As we honor the fallen, let us contemplate what service and honor are and require.