Some Gave All

Memorial Day started perhaps as an attempt to heal the wounds of the Civil War. Southern women decorated the graves of northern soldiers who had fallen in the Civil War. Northern women decorated the graves of Southern men who had fallen. The men and women who had fallen in our countries wars are not forgotten.

Some regret that Memorial Day has become a day of crass commercialism and that people observe it with a day at the beach or by having barbecues and picnics. I take a slightly different stance. It is the greatest compliment to the men and women who have died in our countries wars from the War of Independence to Operation Iraqi Freedom that we as Americans continue to be able to live in the pursuit of happiness with equality and justice for all. It is because so many have been willing to give their all that we continue to have a level of freedom unknown to the rest of the world.

Before I go and grill my chicken, hot dogs, and soy burgers, I will remember my Dad who served our country for 25 years. He served twice in Vietnam. He did not fall in battle but I will remember his friends who did. I'll also remember my great-uncle who fell in World War II. I'll remember those ancestors of mine who fell at the War of Independence, the War of 1812, and the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

And then I'll feast in the knowledge that the there was and continues to be "a long grey line" of those who gave all.





Jews in Green has a list of known Jewish soldiers who have fallen in the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring freedom.

Baruch dayan emet.

Sergeant Steven M. Budeysky, Army, Chicago - unconfirmed - additional details welcome
Captain Robert Michael Secher, Marine, Tennessee
Specialist Daniel Agami, US Army, Florida
Sergeant Howard Paul Allen, Arizona Army National Guard
Airman 1st Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson, Air Force, Florida
Corporal Albert Bitton, US Army, Chicago
Private First Class Colin J. Wolfe, Marines, Virginia
Specialist Benyamin Yahuda, Army, Georgia
Specialist Daniel J. Freeman, US Army, Cincinatti
Sergeant Michael Shackelford, US Army, Denver
Sergeant Alan D. Sherman, Marines, New Jersey
Captain Michael Tarlavsky, 5th Special Forces Group, US Army
Corporal Dustin Schrage, Marine, Florida
Lieutenant Seth Dvorin, New Jersey
Petty Officer Nathan Bruckenthal, Coast Guard, New York - http://www.nathanbruckenthal.org/ contains information about his Memorial Trust
1st Lieutenant David Bernstein, Army, Pennsylvania
Sergeant Foster Harrington, Marine, Texas
1stLt Andrew K. Stern, Marines, Tennessee
Cpl Mark A. Evnin, Marines,Vermont
Cpl Michael R. Cohen, Marines, Penn
LCpl Mark E. Engel, Marines, Colorado
Sgt Elijah Wong, Army, Arizona (Nat. Guard)
Sgt Aron C. Blum, Marines, Arizona
PFC Jacob S. Fletcher, Army, New York
SPC Jeffery Wershow, Army, Florida (Nat. Guard)
Major Mark Rosenberg, Army, Florida
Major Stuart A. Wolfer, Army, Idaho
1stLt Nathan M. Krissoff, Marines, Nevada
SPC Marc S. Seiden, Army, New Jersey