>>From: Michael Ragland ('57)

	Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg and said "The world will
little note nor long remember what we say here today, but it
will never forget the brave men who died here." Lincoln was
wrong. We still remember that address, the most important
address in our history.

Today, memorial day, many of us remember our personal losses
in wars. WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Iraq, Aphganistan and
hundreds of "small wars". The hundreds of men and women lost
in the "Cold War" during exercises, normal operations and
standar military operations through the years. Useless
losses in many cases, but in all cases, men and women doing
their job. Most people are not even aware of most of the
losses. Many don't care, but we all owe our way of life to
these men and women. Memorial day irriates me in that it is
the only day that the puplic is forced to recognize these
losses. We should think every day and hold these people in
honor. I am so lucky that I am not one of them.

Maren, sorry if this is to political, but I tire of
politicians using memorial day to get votes.

-Michael Ragland ('57)