2006, 6 June is now in the History Books. We also all recall that June 6 is also known as D-Day when the Allies launched an invasion on the North Coast of France, which led to the end of World War II in Europe. We either recall from memory, or have learned from Histroy about the events which led to the end of World War II in the Pacific Area of Operations. Victory in Europe day (VE Day) is May 8, 1945 and Victory in Japan day (VJ Day) is August 15, 1945.

The image I have selected for this article is from the Andersonville National Cemetery here in Georgia. It was copied from the Andersonville National Cemetery Website. At this time there are over 17,000 burials in Andersonville. The image is a Memorial from one of the States of the Union which like many other states committed Warriors to the cause of the Civil War.

I can recall the day that World War II ended. My Mom took us four children aside from our play and informed us in a calm, yet reverant manner with the following statement: "Today the War is Over." I look back on that day and as I prepared to do this Blog. I recalled how my parents encouraged us to gather Milkweed fiber so that they could turn it in. We were told that the fiber was used in the production of life jackets. My Sister and I were proud to be doing our part for our country. While I do not recall how much milkweed fiber we gathered, I do know that as I reflect back, I feel a level of pride on what a five year old had accomplished for His Country.

I discuss this background today to also set the stage for my comments, my views, which is what this Blog is all about. As a Society and citizens of the world, we must be mindful of our history, our heritage and also our responsibilities.

Just the other day a young citizen in Georgia was brutally murdered when someone threw an axe into his face. I am sure that no matter where you live, you can hear of this type of event each and every day. What can we do? I would submit that as a society we need to always be mindful of the sacrifices of our citizens of the past. We must learn to appreciate what we have. We must also respect our fellowpeople kind on this Earth. How can this be done, you may be asking yourself? While there are no simple answers may I submit that if we start now we can avoid a more tragic future. We simply must educate our youth that many have given a lot, even their lives so that we can have our Freedoms. We must allow our youth the opportunity to serve their Country. We need to develop a sense of pride in our heritage. While we can not repeat history, we must study it and also respect the events of the past so that we can stand tall and always remember that thousands have sacrificed a lot. In summary, we must be ready to answer the call. We cannot continue to sit back and expect others to give us our freedom.