Remembering

"It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in

defense of our country in wars far away. The imagination

plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and

wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers,

grave and gray-haired. But most of them were boys when they

died, they gave up two lives -- the one they were living and

the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up

their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers.

They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave

up everything for their county, for us. All we can do is

remember."

-- Ronald Wilson Reagan - Remarks at Veteran's Day ceremony,

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia, November

11, 1985