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Here is a sobering thought on this Memorial Day.
Since last year's holiday, which is set aside to memorialize those killed in military service to the nation, more than 750 American soldiers have died in Iraq. At least four of those military casualties were Utahns.
This day KSL remembers them, and we offer condolences to their grieving families. For them, this surely is a day that takes on renewed symbolic, even sacred meaning.
The concept of honoring America's war dead is an important tradition, established in the aftermath of the Civil War. Yet, in the midst of general peace and tranquility on the home front, it is easy for most citizens to think of the day as a time for recreation.
There's nothing wrong with that as long as the designated solemn purpose of Memorial Day is not overlooked. Whatever activities are undertaken this day, KSL urges Utahns to pause and reflect on the heavy price paid for freedom by good men and women of every generation.
This year, as in recent years, it is especially sobering for citizens to remember that thousands of soldiers remain in harm's way in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Most sobering is the likelihood some of them will be the subject of remembrance next Memorial Day.
