Today, we pay tribute to heroes of U.S. Armed Forces

Remember to honor those who paid ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom

Memorial Day is a time for remembrance, for honor and for reflection.

Today, we honor those who did not return, who died on home soil, in lands close to home and in places far away, some in cities and towns they had never before heard of until landing on their shores.

They died in defense of our country, in honor of truth, justice and the American way.

Some died to secure the freedoms we now enjoy today, those ideals treasured in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Some died in an effort to ensure others could enjoy similar freedoms, lives free from tyranny, oppression and terror, to live free from fear, protecting those in need of help, who could not defend themselves.

Because of their valiant service and sacrifice, America is known around the world as the home of the brave.

Yet for every service member who gave their life, there was someone who grieved — the mother and father who carry that loss of a child forever in their hearts, a spouse who never again will hear their beloved say “I love you,” or a child who must grow up in the shadow of a parent lost too soon.

It’s a tremendous price paid in the defense of freedom, and a risk every service member takes every moment spent in uniform.

Memorial Day honors each one of those individuals who gave their life for America, who honored their country by serving in the most dangerous of capacities, be it in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the National Guard, the Coast Guard or the Marines, a branch that is especially near and dear to Yuma’s heart.

They sacrificed it all, serving with courage at home and around the globe, in battlefields big and small.

Today, on Memorial Day, we honor their bravery, their service, their patriotism and their dedication.

This editorial originally appeared in the Yuma Sun in 2016.

Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.