The Heroes Memorial Let this Memorial serve as
a teachable monument,
a solemn signpost
of ultimate service to country,
including by many college-age Citizens;
a remembrance
of the heavy burden borne by the fallen,
the wounded, and their families;
a sober awakening
to the obligations of citizenship,
a clarion call to us all
to be worthy of their sacrifice. For, as monumental as a memorial to
the fallen and the wounded may be,
it is not enough...never enough
to simply thank them for their service.
Let us honor their service by being
Citizens
worthy of their sacrifice. In the rattle and tattle
of ephemeral time,
Where quotidian din feigns
reason and rhyme,
The skyward Pillar of granite stone
Heralds for all
the timeless touchstone. Let us honor their service by being
Citizens
worthy of their sacrifice. | | | The Heroes Memorial Let us never forget the fallen,
who gave the full measure
of life's treasure,
to fulfill the most demanding duty
on behalf of country.
And let us never forget the wounded,
tens of thousands,
some with scars we can see,
others with a world of hurt inside,
indeterminate, invisible.
The fallen and the wounded,
they are our neighbors,
our brothers and sisters,
our children,
our mothers and fathers,
our students...
Our heroes.
Let us honor their service by being
Citizens
worthy of their sacrifice.
And let us not forget
the families of the fallen,
their loved ones,
especially the children,
who endured long, lonely,
and looping deployments,
the chilling cloud of uncertainty
and final fear...
Permanent loss.
They are heroes, too.
Let us honor them by being
Citizens
worthy of their sacrifice. |