I suspect many of you weren’t around when the Vietnam War was in full force or would even recall the days as vividly as someone who was growing up at the time.

Back then, the sentiment among young men was that we would graduate from high school only to be shipped off to a foreign country to defend our nation. That didn’t happen, and instead, the war ended two years before I was to don my cap and gown.

Years later, the controversy that arose from the conflict remains fresh in my mind: a vivid picture of my high school memories. Yes, I remember the broadcasts that appeared on television. Yes, I remember the newspaper articles and obituaries printed in the newspapers. And yes, I remember the two soldiers that appeared at my neighbor’s front door carrying an American flag.

This month, we’ll celebrate Memorial Day on the last Monday of the month, May 31, 2010. We’ll honor those who fought and died in defense of our country. Some of us will barbecue and others will take out-oftown trips to make use of the extended three-day weekend, but we will all remember the true meaning of the federal holiday and we will all pay tribute to our soldiers.

It’s all in the history books.

Memorial Day was first enacted to honor union soldiers who died during the Civil War. Later, it was expanded to honor U.S. men and women who died in the service of our country.

If you check in your web browser (I typed in U.S. war casualties on Google) you’ll find a totality of all of the war casualties beginning with the Revolutionary War to the present. This totals to a little over 1.3 million men and women.

If you guessed the Civil War to be at the top of the list, you’re right, with World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam Conflict accounting for most of the casualties.

Ironically, the War of Independence, which brought freedom to our country and is celebrated on July 4, claimed only 25,000 lives, less than the number of men and women killed in Korean.

So I guess this is what Memorial Day is all about. It’s about remembering the heroes who gave their lives to our country no matter what war (in our history) they fought in. I respect their sacrifice because many of the people that are important in my life (and served in the military) were fortunate to have come back.

My Dad fought in Korea. He never talks about it. My uncles also enlisted. They have few stories to tell. But after watching war movies and viewing actual war footage in the Military Channel, I think I can imagine why.

So if history is what defines us, as some writers would tell us, then we should never forget the contributions our soldiers - the men and women who gave their lives for our county - contributed towards our freedom.

I’m not a veteran, but I am one of the many who benefited from our soldiers’ contribution. Perhaps, with the time that’s left before May 31, we could plan something a little special. It would be nice.