Community Corner
St. Charles Celebrates Troops’ Service, Sacrifice
Memorial Day parade honors those who have served, died in the U.S. Armed Forces.
On a chilly, slightly damp Monday morning in St. Charles, residents lined up along both sides of Main Street where they waved flags, cheered, and often applauded as U.S. veterans marched through the downtown, accompanied by floats and marching bands, on a day designated specifically to honor them.
The parade’s brevity — a scant 20 minutes or so — seemed in stark contrast to the sacrifices men and women have made in the service of this country. Perhaps that was because the focus was on the patriots and the branches of the military they serve, rather than some of the marketing-type floats and politically related entries in the city’s other parades.
Memorial Day is a federal holiday that is observed the last Monday in May each year to pay homage to those who have paid, often dearly, to keep our nation and its allies safe and free. Just a glimpse at some of the numbers kept by military statisticians is staggering. Since 1775:
- More than 40 million men and women have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
- More than 1.3 million men and women have died in the service of our nation’s military. *
- More than 1.5 million men and women have been wounded while serving our nation’s military. *
- More than 38,000 have gone missing in action. *
The greatest single loss of American military lives in any one conflict occurred on American soil during the Civil War (625,000), followed by World War II (405,000), World War I (116,516), the Vietnam War (58,000), and the Korean War (36,516), also according to United States Military Casualties of War
The numbers reflect only those who made the “ultimate sacrifice,” giving their very lives for the nation they served. Countless others sacrificed arms, limbs, even their sanity while fighting in our military. St. Charles Patch joins with the city’s residents in saying thank you, veterans, for your service, your sacrifice, your willingness to give all to protect us and the freedom we have.
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