As we observe Memorial Day 2012, we remember and honor the more than one million American men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in all our wars, including more than 6400— and counting, from our two most recent wars. We remember and pay tribute to the patriots who died long ago on battlefields near to home with familiar, sacred names such as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, Saratoga, Gettysburg, and Chickamauga. We remember the troops who gave their lives on foreign battlefields and shores thousands of miles away such as Meuse-Argonne, St. Michael, Bostogne, and Ivodzima. Fresher in our memories and in our hearts are the men and women who have fallen on battlefields with names like Pusan, Inchon, Khe Sanh, Tora Bora, Fallujah and Kandahar.
The sheer magnitude of the sacrifices we are commemorating overwhelms one’s mind and overburdens the heart.
Our presidents traditionally honor all these men and women on behalf of a grateful nation at the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery where more than 260,000 of our fallen troops rest. They oftentimes single out a few of these heroes for special praise.
I would like to single out the following individuals whom I have had the honor of personally knowing or knowing about:
Michael Tarlavsky, CPT, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 12 August 2004
Viktor Yolkin, SPC, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 24 January 2005
Mourad Ragimov, CPL, US Marine Corps, KIA, Iraq, 26 January 2005
Yevgeniy Ryndych, SGT, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 6 December 2006
Alexandr Alexeev, CPL, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 28 May 2007
Shawn English, CPT, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 3 December 2006
Maria Ortiz, CPT, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 10 July 2007
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The sheer magnitude of the sacrifices we are commemorating overwhelms one’s mind and overburdens the heart.
Our presidents traditionally honor all these men and women on behalf of a grateful nation at the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery where more than 260,000 of our fallen troops rest. They oftentimes single out a few of these heroes for special praise.
I would like to single out the following individuals whom I have had the honor of personally knowing or knowing about:
Michael Tarlavsky, CPT, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 12 August 2004
Viktor Yolkin, SPC, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 24 January 2005
Mourad Ragimov, CPL, US Marine Corps, KIA, Iraq, 26 January 2005
Yevgeniy Ryndych, SGT, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 6 December 2006
Alexandr Alexeev, CPL, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 28 May 2007
Shawn English, CPT, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 3 December 2006
Maria Ortiz, CPT, US Army, KIA, Iraq, 10 July 2007
Picture-36.jpg
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