Remembering the Fallen

Dear Leading Ladies,

Today is Memorial Day. First established by emancipated slaves to honor soldiers who died in the Civil War, the holiday was called Decoration Day, since the custom was to decorate graves of the fallen with flowers and flags. After World War One, the holiday spread to most states and included honoring those who died in all wars in which American soldiers participated. It was not until 1971 that the last Monday of the month of May was designated as our national Memorial Day holiday.

On Memorial Day 2026, then, we mourn the lives lost in all the wars since our country’s beginning, but perhaps especially the lives of the young men and women who have died in the current senseless and illegal war in the Middle East. These mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and lovers, are all gone for less than valorous reasons. They needlessly leave behind a trail of tears, holes in the hearts of their loved ones for no good reason. They made the ultimate sacrifice, but for what? May their loved ones know they died with honor, if not for the best cause. We can not begin to imagine their pain and sorrow.

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It’s true that only 13 US military personnel between the ages of 20 and 45 have been killed in the Iran war. The number may sound small unless it’s your mommy or daddy, son or daughter, husband or wife, brother or sister who is gone forever due to a war of dubious purpose with an unforeseeable end. What can our president possibly say today to properly honor those who have given their lives, not to protect our freedom, but to further his quest for power.

It is important that all of us continue to speak of those who have died in the Iran conflict and make sure that their memory be for a blessing. As this expression from the Jewish tradition reminds us, as long as we continue to remember and speak of the dead, they will never be forgotten.

Therese (she/her/hers)
Judy (she/her/hers)
Didi (she/her/hers)Leading Ladies Executive Team
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ladies@leadingladiesvote.org