How The Hell Did We Forget?

by Michael Skolnik

Somehow we forgot.  Or somehow we wanted to forget.

We closed our eyes and went shopping.  We opened our eyes and put up ribbons.  We slept on the couch and changed the channel.  We went to work and didn't read the paper.  We campaigned and forgot that it was election day.  We forgot.  We forgot.  We forgot.  How the hell did we forget?

In the past nine years, two million men and women have received a call that their time has come.  Their time has come to serve this country.  No matter how they feel about the orders given by their Commander In Chief, they serve.  They serve honorably and nobly.  Out of those two million brave soldiers who have received that call, one million two hundred and fifty thousand of them belong to us.  Our generation.  Our brothers.  Our sisters. Our cousins.  Our high school sweethearts.  Our husbands.  Our wives.  Our college roommates.  Our co-workers.  Our boyfriends. Our girlfriends.  Our neighbors. Our best friends.  They belong to us.  They are us.  But somehow we forgot. Or somehow we wanted to forget.