Remember the Fallen
By Sen. John Thune
I recently had the privilege of welcoming a group of South Dakota veterans to Washington during an Honor Flight visit. These are always special for me. They’re an opportunity to simply say “thank you” to those who served. No matter how many times I do it, Honor Flights always inspire me and make me grateful to be an American and an heir to what these men and women fought for.
After the visit, KELOLAND News ran a story on this Honor Flight, and a quote from one Vietnam veteran struck me. He said, “I’m no hero. The heroes are the ones that didn’t get to come back and have families, didn’t get to become grandparents. They’re the heroes.” This is a common sentiment among veterans. I heard it often from my dad, a World War II veteran who almost always talked about the men with whom he served rather than his own service. But no matter how often I hear this, it stops me in my tracks because it reminds me that we ask those who serve our country to be willing to sacrifice everything.
Many Americans have, in fact, sacrificed everything serving our country, and we honor them on Memorial Day. These brave Americans gave their lives, their futures, and all that that future could hold to defend our country, protect our liberty, and secure peace for us. So, as we celebrate Memorial Day, we remember their heroism and sacrifice and take inspiration from their commitment to the ideals upon which our country was founded.
This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II. Millions of Americans served in the military during the war. More than 400,000 Americans died during it, including about 1,700 South Dakotans.
Among these are men like Captain Arlo Olson from Toronto, South Dakota. Captain Olson was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in advancing through Italy, where he was killed in 1943 leading the advance. Philip native Lieutenant Earl Ferguson’s B-24 bomber was shot down while it was targeting an oil field in Romania. And Private Glenn Dow from Sioux Falls was killed on Omaha Beach on D-Day.
These men, and countless others, gave their lives in defense of our freedom and to secure peace for us. They entrusted to us the future that they would not see themselves, and they call on us now to defend the peace that they won.
On Memorial Day, we remember that our freedom has come at a cost. And we recognize that it is on us to live up to the ideals for which generations of Americans have been willing to give their lives. These are America’s heroes, and we are a grateful nation.
###