In Honor of Those Past

Every crisis has new heroes. During the 9/11 attacks, they were the first responders running into burning and crumbling buildings as others ran out. Now, during the Coronavirus pandemic, the most visible heroes are the health care professionals, who are saving others and risking their own lives while doing so.

As we celebrate the selfless and untiring performances of the healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, it brings to mind the military medics, doctors and nurses who sacrificed their lives while treating others on the battlefield.

We remember Army veterans such as Lieutenant Sharon Lane. From her biographer, Philip Bigler, Lieutenant Lane threw herself into her work as a nurse. While serving in Colorado, she requested a transfer to Vietnam. "There, at least, you are busy 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week," she said in a 1968 letter to her parents.

Her dedication was obvious, even as she treated enemy Viet Cong soldiers who would return the favor by kicking, cursing and spitting at their American captors.

In the early morning of June 8, 1969, Sharon's tour of duty ended. A Soviet-built rocket struck the hospital. Lieutenant Sharon A. Lane was killed in action at age 25.

If she were still here, her skills as a nurse might still be benefiting us during the current crisis. But not all of the heroes working during the COVID-19 pandemic are in the healthcare industry. Grocers, first responders, delivery workers and drive-through restaurant employees are just a few of the many people that we rely on to provide vital services for society while risking their own safety.

The military also has heroes in every occupational field. Truck drivers, cooks and administrative clerks have all paid the ultimate price. At sea, on land or in the air – military service requires great risk. These men and women know they have an important job to do. A mission to accomplish. They are all on a mission to serve.

There is a great legacy that all of these heroes leave behind. A legacy that includes their sons, daughters, grieving parents, grandparents and friends. Heroic acts are often performed to protect those with whom they serve.

Approximately one million men and women of the United States military have lost their lives in defense of our nation since the founding of this great Republic. Not all have died from enemy fire. Some have died from diseases that have too often festered around war zones. Often times, deaths from disease and accidents outnumbered casualties caused by enemy weapons.

Even when the enemy is an invisible virus or a microscopic germ, the sacrifices made are just as meaningful. The United States military has already lost service members to COVID-19.

This MEMORIAL DAY as we continue to honor those who fell for us in battle, let's also pause to remember those who have also sacrificed their lives while serving others.

May God bless them and may God bless you for remembering them always.

Submitted by the Sidney American Legion Post No. 17, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 610, and Disable American Veterans Chapter No. 40.