Across centuries, Americans have sacrificed for freedom

Visitors to cemeteries in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys have noticed in recent years the ever- increasing percentage of graves that have flags flying over them on Memorial Day.
The veterans of World War II are dying and, particularly in an area such as this one where many of the World War II generation have stayed to live out their years, the cemeteries reflect that harsh reality.
Meanwhile, in the gently rolling hills of Virginia near our nation's capital, new graves are being dug in Section 60.
Section 60 is a five acre plot in Arlington National Cemetery where the dead from Iraq and Afghanistan are being buried when their families request it.
These latest casualties of war join their brothers and sisters from wars dating to the Revolution. A handful of the battles in which veterans of other wars fell are part of the political cartoon on this page.
Words that may not even be recognized by today's younger generations -- Anzio, Guadalcanal, Pusan, Khe Sanh -- have left an indelible mark on the soldiers who were there and have a special meaning for the families of the soldiers who never returned.
Youngstown connection
This holiday evolved from Decoration Day, a tradition begun in the South after the Civil War. It was brought North by the mother and father of one of Youngstown's most prominent residents, Major John A. Logan Jr.
Gen. John A. Logan of Chicago, acting at his wife's suggestion, issued an order to all members of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1871 that May 30 be observed as Decoration Day. He also introduced a bill in Congress that made the date a holiday.
Today, 134 years later, a flag will be flying over the grave of Major Logan in Oak Hill Cemetery, near the plaque that notes he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in the Spanish-American War.
Over the years, the nature of Memorial Day has changed. Parades are fewer and shorter. Cook-outs are more elaborate. And many stores remain open.
Perhaps nothing changed the day more than the questionable way in which Congress celebrated its centennial. In 1971, Congress gave the holiday a rolling date, setting it for the last Monday in May. This year, the holiday just happens to fall on its traditional date.
Which makes this a good year to at least give a nod to the traditional meaning of the day. Pause, if only for a few minutes, from celebrating the unofficial beginning of summer, to think of the fallen soldiers who will never seen another summer. Think especially of those who are dying in Iraq even now.