A heartfelt thanks on Memorial Day

Despite the chasm separating my political beliefs with those of some family members, I made a phone call today to thank my aunt and uncle for their most painful sacrifice to our nation. Tim, their son and my cousin, was an Air Force Academy graduate and Lieutenant in the Air Force. Tim was killed 21 years ago on a night training flight in south Georgia. As a parent, I can't imagine the pain of losing a child ever dulls.

If you don't have a friend or family member who has died in service to our country, know there have been 3,452 American military men and women sacrificed to the cause of war in Iraq since March, 2003. Regardless of your political beliefs, today is a day to remember their final sacrifice. I have.