Did You Lose a Friend or Loved One While in Military Uniform?

 My VIPs for this week are the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for America, those in military uniforms who died while fighting or preparing to fight for this nation. Memorial Day is a day to commemorate their sacrifice.

I cannot think of any relative or friend who died while in military uniform – not a son or daughter, spouse, parent or grandparent, uncle, aunt, or cousin, or even a friend or classmate. I consider myself to be well blessed, especially since I know many who served in World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, recent wars, or are currently serving. I recognize that the families of all who serve sacrifice much whether a loved one dies or not.

Memorial Day 2026 is winding down as I draft this essay, so I want to share information from an opinion piece written by the editorial board at the Deseret News. 

Exact figures are elusive, but a variety of sources put the number of people who have given their lives in American military conflicts from the beginning of the revolution until the most recent fighting in Iran at more than 1.2 million.

That includes those who died in direct combat and those who died in accidents, by diseases or in any other way related to military service. The distinction really doesn’t matter. All gave their lives while serving their country.

That is a staggering number to contemplate as the nation prepares to observe its 250^th birthday in July. It becomes more staggering when one considers that the largest single share of those, 620,000, died in the Civil War. Noteworthy is also the cost of war in other countries, including the Soviet Union, with losses during World War II that reached tens of millions of soldiers and civilians.

Passionate patriots

Americans have always been passionate about defining freedom and amending laws in order to reflect an ideal definition of it. Unfortunately, sometimes they will come to blows over these definitions, as in the Civil War.

The nation’s Founders did a remarkable job of crafting a Constitution that keeps power in check while protecting basic freedoms and liberties, and yet the execution of those ideals has often been less than perfect. It is a testament to the beauty and inspired nature of that document that it endures and Americans continue to try to uphold its standards to this day.

Monday is Memorial Day. People sometimes joke it is the only holiday on the calendar that is not profitable to greeting card companies. That doesn’t mean it has been above trivialization. Many view it as the unofficial first day of summer; a time for barbecues and family gatherings. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, and yet it is important to devote at least part of the day toward the memory of those who have passed, and the debt a free and prosperous nation owes to their sacrifice. It is especially important that some of this time is devoted toward teaching these things to children, and toward teaching them that war is a last resort that all too often becomes necessary.

Born in Battle

This day should be a fitting prelude to the 250^th birthday celebration. It is not meant to be relentlessly sad or tragic. It is, however, a time to contemplate how the nation was born in battle, and how the hearts of many American men and women have always prized liberty enough to die for it.