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  Memorial Day Message 2004 LTG James R. Helmly
It has been sixty years since American Soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, yet the images of that bloody conflict remain etched as clearly in our minds as though it were yesterday. These members of the Greatest Generation realized the "Gravity of the Moment" as they quietly and bravely rode their Higgins Boats toward the shores of France. It is from these ordinary men, who became heroes through their service, that we draw inspiration and strength to prosecute the Global War on Terror today. Memorial Day is a solemn and sacred day that presents us with the opportunity to reflect, remember and honor the service and sacrifice of military members throughout our nation's history. Originally called Decoration Day, this day was set aside to place flags on Civil War dead in cemeteries across a country starting a journey towards healing the wounds of war. General Logan's words are as fitting today as then. We continue this custom across the nation to honor veterans of all our conflicts. Individual American flags commemorate our comrades-in-arms who lay at rest in the smallest of cemeteries to the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. This Memorial Day finds our Army at war once again loyally serving our nation at war. Our nation will honor our brave and courageous veterans of World War II with the dedication of the World War II Memorial. Built between the monuments of two of our greatest American leaders, Washington and Lincoln, these twentieth century heroes will take their place in history on the National Mall in Washington, DC. For me personally, memories of my time in Vietnam still surface. The lessons I learned there guide my service today. The experience of losing loyal, brave American Soldiers remains fresh in my mind and causes my unremitting work to train Soldiers and grow leaders for war. Yet, I persevere for I know that I am one of the fortunate ones who made it through in order to make a difference in how we organize, man, train and equip our Soldiers today. During this Memorial Day weekend I will honor, in my own way, the brothers-in-arms I left behind as a junior officer, as well as the 41 Army Reserve Soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in this current war. One of these 41 heroes was SGT James Harlan of the 660th Transportation Company of Cadiz, Ohio. SGT Harlan was leading a convoy in Iraq when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb next to his vehicle at Camp Anaconda. After fighting for his life for several hours, SGT Harlan succumbed to massive injuries. His oldest son, James Bryan Harlan, said "Nobody wants to see their father die at all, but to have it be while doing something of this significance, we're proud of him." A son's pride in his father's service brings to mind something President Reagan told veterans in the audience at the fortieth anniversary of D-Day, "You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty." It is this love of liberty that motivates young men and women to continue to enlist in the Army even when they know that soon they will serve in dangerous places far from the land and people they love. It is this love of liberty that provides strength and pride to families and loved ones left behind. It is a source of strength for us all. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
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